Rylan Clark didn’t hold back during a fiery segment on This Morning, calling out what he sees as a “broken system” — one that leaves homeless people and veterans struggling while, in his words, illegal migrants are “welcomed” with hotel rooms, meals, and medical care.
The 36-year-old presenter, co-hosting with Josie Gibson, delivered his impassioned take while discussing Reform leader Nigel Farage’s call for mass deportations. Clark admitted his comments would “upset someone,” but said the issue needs honest conversation.
“This country is built on immigration — legal immigration,” Rylan said. “A lot of the nurses and doctors that have saved my mum’s life came here from other countries. They pay taxes, they help this country thrive. But it’s absolutely insane to me that people risking their lives to cross the Channel arrive here and get put up in hotels.”
He continued: “If I turn up at Heathrow Airport as a British citizen and I’ve left my passport in Spain, I can’t get in. But if I arrive on a boat from Calais, I get taken to a four-star hotel? Something’s wrong here.”
Rylan, who is from London, went on to highlight the country’s homelessness crisis and the number of veterans sleeping rough. “There are people living on the streets, people who have served this country, struggling every single day,” he said. “Something major needs to be done about this.”
Clips of his comments quickly went viral, with many praising his honesty — but others accusing him of “fueling division.” In response to the backlash, Rylan took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his stance:
“You can be pro-immigration and against illegal routes. You can support trans people and have the utmost respect for women. You can be heterosexual and still support gay rights. The list continues. Stop putting everyone in a box and maybe have conversations instead of shouting on Twitter.”
The outburst came after a difficult month for the TV star, whose mum Linda was rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex. While Rylan didn’t disclose the reason for her hospital stay, he later confirmed she returned home in time for her birthday after being treated with antibiotics.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure over the ongoing small boats crisis. With more than 28,000 people crossing the English Channel so far this year, the government is scrambling to tackle a massive backlog of asylum cases — currently more than 51,000 appeals, with many taking over a year to resolve.
Protests continue at hotels housing asylum seekers across the country, adding to tensions. The government has proposed a new system that would see a panel of independent adjudicators, rather than tribunal judges, handling asylum appeals to speed up removals.
On Tuesday, Nigel Farage’s Reform party announced plans to expand detention capacity to 24,000 and secure agreements with countries like Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Iran to return migrants who enter the UK through unauthorized routes.
With emotions running high, Rylan’s words have added even more fuel to the national debate — and sparked conversations that show no sign of slowing down.
