Kemi Badenoch's Toe-Curling Clash With BBC Breakfast Hosts Over Adolescence

Kemi Badenoch had a rather awkward exchange with BBC Breakfast presenters this morning over the Netflix show Adolescence.

The four-part series about a young teenager stabbing a girl to death has become a national hit, and even prompted Keir Starmer to invite its creators to Downing Street to discuss the influence of toxic material online.

It has also sparked major conversations about misogyny and smart phone use in the UK.

But the Conservative party leader admitted she has still not watched the hit TV show on Thursday morning.

She told BBC Breakfast that she “probably won’t” any time soon because “it’s a film on Netflix” and she’s touring the country ahead of local elections right now.

Co-host Naga Munchetty then jumped in to remind her it’s actually actually a series Netflix, and “everyone is talking about it”.

Badenoch said she has been talking about those issues for a long time, and “in the same way I don’t need to watch Casualty to know about the NHS”, she does not need to watch this show to know about British problems.

Casualty is a medical drama series on BBC One that has been running since 1986.

Another presenter, Charlie Stayt, quickly checked if Badenoch had intended to compare those two shows, asking: “Did you really mean to say that?”

The leader of the opposition replied: “I’m saying very clearly that my job is not to watch lots of TV, my job is to get out there, make sure I’m talking about the issues that are happening in the country right now. ”

She pointed out that she is still pressing the government over the rape gang inquiries, after Labour were accused of watering down its plans to investigate the grooming groups.

Badenoch continued: “Telling me that I should go home and watch Netflix is telling me how I should do my job.

“But I don’t think that’s how I should do my job.”

The presenters began to protest, and Stayt said: “At what point did I tell you...”

Badenoch cut in: “You just said you’re surprised I haven’t watch it. We don’t have to watch a particular show to know what is going on in the country.

“I have met parents of children who have had those experiences. I have met children who have been victims. I think that is enough for me to go out there, make policy and look at the research.

“What I don’t think is the right thing is to be deciding who has watched which show and whether that means you are informed. There are many ways to be informed.”

Munchetty hit back: “Adolescence has made more of an impact than any politician has on parents when it comes to the issue of smart phones and misogyny, and yet you are saying, despite that, you don’t need to know about it?”

Badenoch said: “I don’t need to watch a specific show to know what is going on in this country. It’s a fictional show! Let’s talk about what’s real.”

The tense exchange comes after the Tory leader already repeated a conspiracy theory about the show which has been denied by its creator.

She falsely claimed that the Netflix drama was based on a true story involving a non-white boy.

Actually, Adolescence writer Jack Thorne told the News Agents podcast: “There is no part of this that’s based on a true story, not one single part.”