viewers have flooded to social media following a sex-themed segment on the daytime show.
During Thursday’s visit (January 30) to the London studios, and Cat Deeley returned to the helm as they discussed the biggest stories hitting the headlines.
This included the latest updates following the tragic plane crash in Washington DC and the new proposal for Heathrow aiprort to encourage economic growth.
But arguably one of the most controversial segments on the long-running show today was a risqué feature that saw one volunteer try out a so-called “female Viagra” live on the show, reports the .
The dynamic duo welcomed a couple named Karen and Ray,who agreed to test ‘female Viagra’ during the live broadcast. Karen was seen taking the pill on air before she and Ray left the studio to go to a nearby hotel as Karen enthusiastically admitted: “I’m looking forward to it”.
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This Morning shared a racy segment on the ITV show (Image: ITV)
The pair promised they would return later on in the show to share their feedback on how the pill had worked for them. It didn’t take long before fans flooded to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share their disgust online.
One user fumed: “What the bloody hell am I watching? Television X?” as another predicted a slippery slope for the programme, posting: “They will have guests having sex on air the way this show is going.”
Another viewer criticised the timing of the segment, saying: “This is an abysmal segment for 10 in the morning,” while another lamented the show’s direction with: “How low does this show get?”
Ben did remind the couple of the public nature of their trial, noting: “You are doing this on live television,” to which Ray humorously responded: “Just the tablets!” as Karen chuckled.
The TV host then checked both parties were comfortable with their morning activities and reporting back their findings, and asked if they had any concerns but the couple replied that they were both happy with the experiment.
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Karen was seen taking a “female Viagra” supplement live on air (Image: ITV)
Karen swallowed the supplement as Cat sought clarification from resident doctor Zoe Williams about its contents. She detailed: “There are two supplements that some studies support the notion that they can help with libido, one is called maca root which is a Peruvian root, and the other is fenugreek, which raises testosterone levels.”
Karen and Ray then exited, with Ben informing them they had roughly two hours to test the pill’s effects before returning to share their findings. The unusual experiment echoes an experiment the show conducted nearly three decades ago, under the stewardship of Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.
Back then, three couples were invited onto the programme and given the newly-introduced male pill Viagra. After spending time in a hotel, they returned to report on their experiences an hour and a half later.
In a Channel 5 documentary aired last year, reflecting on their careers, Richard and Judy reminisced about the raunchy segment. Judy admitted: “Looking back now, yes I’m sure it was incredibly crude but at the same time it felt very energetic and very vibrant.”
Richard chimed in: “Everybody was talking about viagra, we went a step further and we tested it live on air.” In a nostalgic clip shown by Channel 5, viewers saw Richard tactfully ask one participant: “Put it this way then, I’ll choose my words carefully, was it what you hoped for? Was it everything you hoped for and more?”
One woman’s positive response, which prompted laughter in the studio at her playful reluctance to return to work, suggested the experiment was a success.
Judy disclosed: “There was a producer prowling up and down the corridor outside their rooms in the hotel with walkie-talkies. It’s just absolutely, looking back now it’s awful!”
This Morning airs on weekdays from 10am on ITV1 or catch up on ITVX.