Ofcom Warns TalkTV Over Julia Hartley-Brewer Interview With Palestinian Guest

Media watchdog Ofcom issued a warning to TalkTV to “ensure that comments which have high risk of causing serious offence are justified and put into proper context” in conclusion to an investigation of host Julia Hartley-Brewer’s viral interview with a Palestinian politician.

During the interview in January, a debate about Israel’s campaign in Gaza quickly broke down, exacerbated by an apparent delay in the video link. As frustrations grew, the host shouted down her guest Dr Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, and insinuated that the overlapping conversation was because he was “not used to women talking.”

“Sorry to have been a woman speaking to you but there you are,” Hartley-Brewer told her guest.

Some viewers, as well as Barghouti, labelled Hartley-Brewer’s remarks as “racist” and Islamophobic. Ofcom received over 17,000 complaints about the segment. The complaints, the watchdog said, suggested that the remarks might have been motivated by the MP’s religion or ethnicity.

In what the regulator described as a “finely balanced decision” published on Monday, Ofcom opted against sanctions but issued a stern warning to the broadcaster.

Ofcom acknowledged Hartley-Brewer’s remarks had the “potential to be highly offensive.” However, the regulator decided against a formal investigation, citing the brief nature of the comments and the typical expectations from the host and program. The regulator advised TalkTV to ensure that such potentially offensive comments are adequately justified by context in future broadcasts to comply with the Broadcasting Code.

This incident occurs as News UK, TalkTV’s parent company, announced plans to transition the channel from traditional television to a digital-only format which would move it beyond the reach of Ofcom.