Martin Lewis defended his decision to not wear a tie as he made his 'Good Morning Britain' presenting debut today (28.06.21).
Martin Lewis
The finance expert co-hosted the breakfast show with Susanna Reid this morning in an open white shirt and a black blazer, and he admitted he had gone against the programme's dress code.
Susanna couldn't resist a cheeky dig at his lack of tie, jokingly asking if his recent tooth surgery prevented him from wearing one.
Martin said: "Wow, two minutes in and she's already started."
The 49-year-old star went on to explain he decided to ignore the producers, who told him a tie was 'GMB' protocol, because he doesn't like viewers to see him as corporate.
He said: "The tie thing is interesting because the bosses said, 'Are you gonna wear a tie, it’s part of our format to wear a tie.'
"I’m not disrespectful of the programme’s structure, I was on it for 15 years.
"Because I talk about money I’ve always had a deliberate thing, I won’t wear a tie because it appears corporate and when you’re talking money, I want people to understand I’m not on the corporate side I’m on the other side."
The MoneySavingExpert founder caught Susanna giving him a look as he explained his decision and he jokingly told her to not "pull a face at me."
Martin then let the viewers decide if he should have worn a tie for the show in a poll on social media.
He explained: "Viewers are the ultimate arbiter of this so I’ve agreed that I won’t wear a tie on the first day, we’re gonna do a poll on Twitter asking whether you think I need to wear a tie.
"I feel more comfortable without but if you say wear a tie from tomorrow I will put a tie on."
However, Susanna was quick to note that he was happy to ignore ITV bosses but would change his stance for the audience.
She added: "So when the bosses say wear a tie you say no, but when the viewers say wear a tie, they’re the important ones."
The poll revealed that 89 per cent of viewers were happy with Martin's choice of wardrobe.
Later in the show, 'GMB' guest Tony Hadley backed Martin's decision.
He said: "You don't need a tie, it's too formal for the morning."
Tagged in Susanna Reid