Dr Hilary Jones has made his return to TV after he was brutally axed from his regular appearances of ITV daytime shows Good Morning Britain and Lorraine.
The TV doctor announced he was leaving his former roles back in October, facing the brunt of the broadcaster’s cuts announced last May.
Dr Hilary, 72, who had been part of the team on Lorraine since it first aired in 2010, started his television career in 1989 as the TV-am doctor before featuring as the health and medical advisor on GMTV from 1993.
GMTV was later replaced by Daybreak and Lorraine where he remained as health editor until budget cuts saw the team scaled back.
The TV doctor made final appearance as a regular on New Year’s Eve, when he became a ‘free agent’ and assured fans he might return for guest appearances.
Dr Hilary has since been spotted on rival daytime show, GB News programme Breakfast with Eamonn and Ellie, as he joined the panel on Tuesday (February 17).
Dr Hilary Jones has made his return to TV after he was brutally axed from his regular appearances of ITV daytime shows Good Morning Britain and Lorraine
Dr Hilary has since been spotted on rival daytime show, GB News programme Breakfast with Eamonn and Ellie, as he joined the panel on Tuesday (February 17)
The GP was brought on to discuss the measles outbreak across north London, offering up his medical expertise to viewers at home.
Sitting beside Eamonn, 66, and Ellie, 32, he encouraged those watching who had not yet vaccinated their children against the disease to get the vaccine.
He stressed the importance of ensuring children under five have been vaccinated to avoid contracting measles, a highly contagious viral infection that can cause severe complications like pneumonia or brain inflammation.
The NHS offers the measles vaccine, that is almost 100 per cent effective in preventing contraction of the disease, and is offered from the age of one.
Dr Hilary told the show: ‘It’s really important that children under five are vaccinated. Anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated – it’s never too late.
‘You’re less likely to come in contact with it if you’re 55, but it’s still there and you can come down with nasty measles at any age if you haven’t been vaccinated and you’re exposed to it.’
During his return to TV, one GB News host was quick to hit out that they weren’t pleased to see Dr Hilary on their screens, and working in their studio.
Bev Turner, who hosts the Late Show, hit out at the doctor via a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, accusing him of ‘lying’ to the public during the Covid pandemic.
Bev Turner, who hosts the Late Show, hit out at the doctor via a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, accusing him of ‘lying’ to the public during the Covid pandemic
Sitting beside Eamonn, 66, and Ellie, 32, Dr Hilary encouraged those watching who had not yet vaccinated their children against measles to get the vaccine
It was all sparked by a series of posts from other TV stars, including media personality Katie Hopkins and internet personality Dr Zoe Harcombe – who both suggested Dr Hilary should ‘not be on TV’.
Hitting out that he had ‘unnecessarily scared millions of people’, she fumed against his former appearances during the pandemic as part of the Good Morning Britain team.
Bev penned in a now-deleted post: ‘News channels build trust over time by listening to viewers and striving for the truth, even if that means saying the opposite of all other outlets.
‘Some people are now totems of being wrong, bought-off by drug companies or too cowardly to report the truth in case it harmed their career.
‘Dr Hilary Jones was wrong on TV every day for 2 years. He unnecessarily scared millions of people, breaking up families via fear and causing untold death and injury by amplifying covid risk and peddling the MRNA onto all age groups.
‘Everything he said during that time was evidence based on propaganda rather than scientific evidence.
‘I’d be thrilled to see him behind the GB News desk talking about his own recent diagnosis of pericarditis, whilst explaining the statistical link between that condition and the jabs.
‘I’d be thrilled to see him apologise to the nation for the significant role he played during that time. I’d be thrilled to interview him about why he ignored true infection fatality data and the evidence within Pfizer’s own 2020 trials.
Hitting out that he had ‘unnecessarily scared millions of people’, Bev Turner fumed against his former appearances during the pandemic as part of the Good Morning Britain team
Dr Hilary has previously come under fire before publicly advocating the Covid-19 jab on ITV
‘But otherwise, in my view, he should not be welcome in a building which prides itself on freedom and truth.’
Dr Hilary has previously come under fire before publicly advocating the Covid-19 jab on Good Morning Britain.
In 2021, the TV GP’s country home was reported to have been targeted by a ‘vicious group of anti-vaccine protestors’.
Residents in the peaceful Kent village woke to an army of enraged protestors, who describe themselves as ‘soldiers of truth’, wielding placards and megaphones as they gathered outside his sprawling property on Saturday.
A source told MailOnline: ‘A vicious bunch of protestors turned up on the driveway outside Hilary Jones’ Kent home. They blasted unpleasant messages through loudspeakers.’
Local police later attended the scene, with protestors claiming Hilary had refused to open the door as they attempted to ‘serve’ him with legal documents.
Dr Hilary used his platform to promote the vaccine, while being critical of those who oppose it – but his comments during an appearance on Lorraine in August 2020 that divided viewers.
‘We are going to rely on the common sense of the British people,’ he said. ‘While most people do have common sense, some don’t though and have to be protected from themselves.’
During his return to TV, one GB News host was quick to hit out that they weren’t pleased to see Dr Hilary on their screens, and working in their studio
In 2021, the TV GP’s country home was reported to have been targeted by a ‘vicious group of anti-vaccine protestors’
Of the vaccine, he added: ‘It doesn’t affect the DNA of your cells, it can’t affect your fertility, it can only protect you, it’s a win, win, win, win, win. There’s no downside.’
Jones also took aim at BBC show Strictly Come Dancing after three unnamed professional dancers refused to have the jab.
Speaking on Loose Women about the ‘duty of care’ that is required when your job involves close contact with others, he openly criticised the Strictly stars for not getting vaccinated and increasing the risk of infection among the shows cast and crew.
Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway has previously praised the doctor’s quick thinking after he urged her to take COVID stricken husband Derek to a hospital at the height of the pandemic.
Writing for the Mail On Sunday, she recalled: ‘Eventually I did what every single person who has ever worked in breakfast TV does at some point, I called Dr. Hilary Jones, GMB’s resident health expert.
In 2022, Ofcom issued ITV with guidance after it broadcast ‘inaccurate information’ from Dr Hilary about the ‘proportion of unvaccinated Covid-19 patients in hospital’.
The information, that was broadcast on Lorraine in December 2021, saw nearly 4,000 viewers lodge complaints – but after a review, Ofcom decided to not launch a formal investigation.
They instead sent ITV ‘guidance’, with the broadcast regulator saying: ‘In reaching our decision, we took into account that the programme was live and that a clarification was broadcast on 8 December.
‘This provided viewers with the source of the statistic and clarified that it related to patients receiving the most specialist care in intensive care units, rather than the proportion of unvaccinated Covid-19 patients in hospital.’
An Ofcom spokesperson added: ‘This programme incorrectly referenced the proportion of unvaccinated Covid-19 patients in hospital.
‘We have told ITV that greater care should be taken by trusted medical experts when presenting facts and figures on public health issues.
‘However, given official statistics and research have consistently shown that vaccination against Covid-19 offers greater protection against serious health consequences, we do not consider that the error was sufficient to materially mislead viewers on this main point of discussion.’
According to Stat of the Nation, Dr Hilary told viewers on Lorraine in December 2021: ‘Ninety per cent of people in hospital have not been vaccinated.’
However, NHS England data at the time is reported to have shown that 36 per cent of patients being treated for Covid-19 were unvaccinated.
It comes after Dr Hilary revealed he was leaving Lorraine after 36 years amid the brutal ITV cuts that saw the show’s episodes slashed.
After it was revealed Lorraine will air for just 30 minutes a day, 30 weeks of the year, Dr Hilary has revealed he is stepping away.
The TV doctor said his final appearance as a regular will be New Year’s Eve, when he will become a ‘free agent’ – but assured fans he might return for guest appearances.
