Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain (Image: ITV )
viewers have called for presenter to apologise to after it was revealed that Axel Rudakubana repeatedly came on the radar of before killing the innocent schoolgirls who were at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last summer.
On Monday, Rudakubana pleaded guilty to the killings of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and the attempted murder of eight other people on the first day of his trial.
At the time, Farage was berated by Susanna for calling the murders “a cover-up,” however, as it’s been revealed that the teen was referred to the counter-extremism programme three times, it’s unlikely that Prime Minister and the Home Secretary were unaware of Rudakubana.
Taking to social media, one ITV viewer said: “Remember when Susanna called out Farage about the main story, I do, I wonder of she does? Joke show.”
Another echoed: “So remember when you berated for saying was covering up, well I think you might owe Nigel an apology.”
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Axel Rudakubana in court drawing by artist Elizabeth Cook (Image: PA)
The Conservatives and Reform UK have accused the authorities of withholding information about Rudakubana’s interest in violence and terrorism.
However, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had been clear these details “could not be made public before today to avoid jeopardising the legal proceedings or prejudicing the possible jury trial, in line with the normal rules of the British justice systems”.
In October, Susanna challenged Farage for being “irresponsible and dangerous” after suggesting authorities were withholding the truth about the Southport attacks.
She said: “You suggested, in a video, that police withheld the truth about the person alleged to be behind this tragedy. Let’s bear in mind that there is a legal process going on we don’t want to compromise.”
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Nigel Farage featured on Good Morning Britain in October (Image: ITV)
Farage interjected: “We always hide behind that,” Susanna hit back: “That’s the rule of law in this country, that we don’t compromise someone’s fair trial and allow the families of those who have suffered to hear the truth.”
The leader then claimed senior legal figures were arguing that the Government should have told “the truth” about the incident and that they “hide behind this idea” that a legal process means they are not able to be more open with the public.
The shocking Southport attacks sparked riots and furious protests after false information was spread on social media that Rudakubana was an illegal immigrant who arrived at Dover in a small boat – when in fact he was born in Cardiff to parents from Rwanda.
More than 1,000 arrests linked to disorder across the country have since been made with hundreds charged and jailed for their crimes.