Furious This Morning viewers rage 'she shouldn't be glorified!' as Peru Two drug mule Michaela McCollum recounts time on Celebrity SAS - blasting ITV for 'promoting criminality'
The 31-year-old, who served three years in a hardcore prison near Lima when she was convicted of drug smuggling back in 2016 when she was just 19, is due to appear on our screens very soon as part of the upcoming series of the Channel 4 show.
Michaela appeared on This Morning to talk about what it was like taking part in the challenging programme, which is run by Billy Billingham, Jason Fox, Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver.
But viewers watching at home blasted the channel for 'promoting criminality' and many rushed to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts.
'Literally promoting criminality it would seem #ThisMorning.'
'She shouldn't be glorified at all.'
The 31-year-old is due to appear on our screens very soon as part of the upcoming series of the Channel 4 show
'I give up on this nation.'
'Why has she joined the 'so called' celebrity sas?
'Money Attention What else? Another person who's trying to be a 'celeb' that are paying to talk to! Seriously guys how low will you go in the barrel for cheap ratings?'
'FFS, a drug mule celebrity, what is with this country's obsession with promoting the stupid and evil people in society?'
'So crime doesn't pay?'
'#ThisMorning This guest isn't a 'celebrity'. She's a convicted drug smuggler and should be given any sort of publicity!!!'
'She'll be presenting #thismorning next.'
'So you get done for smuggling drugs like Michaella Mccollum and that somehow now makes you a Celebrity? #ThisMorning What the f*** is she famous for other than being a criminal? #SASWhoDaresWins in what way is she a celebrity?'
Michaella McCollum and Melissa Reid were 20 when they became friends holidaying in Ibiza back in August 2013.
They were soon coerced into sneaking £1.5million worth of cocaine into Peru.
They were arrested when they got off the plane in Lima, convicted of drug smuggling and sentenced to six years and eight months in the hardcore Ancon 2 prison - though they were released in 2016.
Michaela has since become a mum and is a public influencer and speaker.
Dermot was interested to know her thought process behind agreeing to take part in the show.
He asked: 'To go back into something in the public eye, means you're going to open up a level of scrutiny and opinion.
'Did that come into your head?
Michaela: 'Not really because I know that it is always going to exist.
'Any kind of decisions that I make are scrutinised so I thought whether I do the show, there will be some kind of talk about that.'
When asked what it was like in prison, Michaela revealed: 'It was extreme. I was incredibly adaptable. I just got along with it.
'I think for the first part, I felt so guilty and bad and thought I deserve it.
'I'll suck it up. But I feel like it made me an amazing person. I came back when I was 23.'
Olivia mentioned the backlash that she has received and asked Jason Fox, who was sitting on the sofa next to her, if it was necessary.
Jason said: 'There is always going to be backlash. I personally don't think it's warranted.
'There's a reason people go to prison, pay their penance, when it's, done it's done.
'Why not give people the opportunity to see if they can move forward. Obviously other people have different opinions, that's up to them.'
Michaela added: 'I am so pulled back from all of that, I don't expose myself to that.
'But I know it exists. I know people are always going to say that no matter what I do.
'I very much have stayed out of the public eye, went to university, had a normal career. I've had my normal life.
'If things pop up, like the likes of this show, I'm going to do that, I think its an amazing experience of life.
'It's going to happen whatever I do. It's going to exist.'
The likes of Adebayo 'The Beast' Akinfenwa, 43, Troy Deeney, 35, Conor Benn, 27, Louie Spence, 55, Tasha Ghouri, 25, Harry Clark, 23, Hannah Spearritt, 43, Rebecca Loos, 46, Bimini, 31, Lady Leshurr, 36, Lucy Spraggan, 32, and Adam Collard, 28, will also be starring in the upcoming series of Celebrity SAS.
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