Watch the awkward moment Ed Balls 'disappears' from Good Morning Britain and leaves co-host Susanna Reid to grill his wife Yvette Cooper alone after major Ofcom backlash

Ed Balls momentarily stepped back from his presenting duties for the second time this week during Thursday's Good Morning Britain to avoid interviewing his wife Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Former Labour Cabinet minister Ed, 57, stayed silent while his fellow presenter quizzed his wife about everything from migration numbers to whether to public can trust politicians. Ed Balls momentarily stepped back from his presenting duties for the second time this week during Thursday's GMB to avoid interviewing his wife Home Secretary Yvette Cooper Instead, his co-host Susanna Reid conducted the chat solo as she spoke to the politician, who was in Berkshire, via a zoom link 'So, we're joined by the Home Secretary who's in charge of our police - Yvette Cooper.' Former Labour Cabinet minister Ed, 57, stayed silent while his fellow presenter quizzed his wife about everything from migration numbers to whether to public can trust politicians The awkward moment came after ITV conceded that he would not be allowed to interrogate his spouse again following an outcry in August It's the second time this week that Yvette has been on the show so Ed has taken a back seat However, after Thursday's interview, even with Ed off-screen, viewers were left unimpressed He also asked her whether there had been a 'two-tier approach' to policing, and if police have been 'softer and more cautious' when policing the Gaza demonstrations compared with a 'tougher' approach over the previous week.