This Morning viewers were left aghast during Thursday's installment of the ITV show as hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley introduced a controversial segment centered around testing 'female Viagra' live on air. With the program stating, "It's estimated seven in 10 women have experienced low libido, and some over-the-counter supplements dubbed 'the female Viagra' claim to boost a woman's sex drive in just half an hour," the stage was set for what would become one of the most talked-about episodes of the season.
The feature involved couple Karen and Ray, who had been together for 16 years, trying out the supplement at the beginning of the show and then heading to a nearby hotel to gauge its effects. The dramatic premise raised eyebrows as many viewers questioned the appropriateness of performing such intimate experiments on daytime television.
On social media, reactions were swift and largely negative. One viewer quipped, "Could they not have got the couple to try the viagra before they appeared on the show?" Another added, "Why would you want to do this on live TV?" Such sentiments underscored the discomfort many felt about the live nature of the segment. One particularly outraged viewer described it as "an abysmal segment for 10 in the morning," sharing their astonishment at the bold decision to air such content.
The segment continued with Karen openly taking the supplement, expressing optimism, saying, "Yeah fine, I'm looking forward to it!" Meanwhile, Dr. Zoe Williams, the show’s resident medical expert, explained the often complex nature of women's libido, noting, "For men, it can be instant, seconds. For women, it takes about 20 minutes, usually, for women to be ready for sex. Anything interrupting the process, like stress or previous arguments, can make it challenging." This provided some medical grounding to the playful yet contentious experiment.
Following their departure for the hotel, viewers were told to expect the couple's return later to report on their experience. Yet, many were left questioning the ethics and intent behind the live testing. Fears were raised about the potential for this segment to diminish standards on daytime TV, with one viewer lamenting, "Apparently it takes me 20 minutes to 'warm up', please This Morning... be a bit more classy!"
This Morning has had its share of bold segments, but this was particularly reminiscent of similar episodes from the late 1990s when former hosts Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan faced criticism for their own live tests involving male Viagra. During their retrospective on the show aired last year, Judy reflected mixed emotions, saying, "Looking back now, yes I'm sure it was incredibly crude but at the same time it felt very energetic and vibrant." She also recounted the operational dilemmas of those past segments, recalling how producers kept watch outside hotel rooms during tests, adding, "It's just absolutely, looking back now it's awful!"
Returning to the current episode, Karen and Ray confirmed to the studio audience their hotel experience had yielded results, with Karen claiming, "It made Ray very, very happy. I think the effects haven't worn off yet." Meanwhile, Ray humorously sidestepped details of their escapades, saying, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Such witticisms did little to assuage the criticism of viewers who felt the segment had overstepped boundaries of taste, opining it was inappropriate at such an hour.
While the show aims to inform and entertain, the priority of maintaining sensitivity to its audience appears to have slipped on this occasion, leading to widespread discontent among viewers. Critics labeled the episode 'pathetic' and accused it of prioritizing shock value over responsible broadcasting.
This Morning continues to push the envelope with provocative topics, but this episode may serve as a turning point for the show's engagement with sensitive issues relating to sexual health. Time will tell how the producers will respond to the backlash as they move forward.
This Morning airs weekdays on ITV from 10am to 12:30pm, continuing its tradition of tackling bold topics but balancing viewer expectation and community standards remains pivotal for its future programming.