Ed Balls Shares Ongoing Struggle with Stammer on ‘Good Morning Britain’

During a recent broadcast of ITV’s Good Morning Britain, presenter Ed Balls offered a candid glimpse into the daily professional challenges he faces due to his lifelong stammer. The former politician, who has become a prominent voice for those living with speech impediments, admitted that certain linguistic hurdles remain a persistent source of difficulty during live television.

The discussion was prompted by guest Jessie Roux, a participant on the BBC series The Traitors, who was appearing on the program to raise awareness for the “Don’t Hang Up. Hang On” campaign. The initiative, spearheaded by the advocacy charity STAMMA, seeks to educate call handlers and the public on the importance of patience, urging people not to prematurely disconnect when they encounter extended silences during a conversation with someone who stammers.

Roux explained the frustration that often accompanies these interactions, noting that specific phonemes, such as the letter “H,” present significant barriers. “It is hard because I’ve had it where I have been hung up on, and ‘H’ is hard. Like, ‘Hello’ on its own is a nightmare,” Roux told viewers.

Balls, drawing from his own professional experience as a broadcaster, immediately identified with the struggle.

“I can’t do H’s! From the autocue, every now and again, and there is one, it’s a nightmare!”

— Ed Balls, Presenter

The television host has been open about his speech journey for years. Despite discovering his stammer during his political career, he did not publicly acknowledge the condition until 2009. He subsequently became a patron for the British Stammering Association, now rebranded as STAMMA, in 2010. Over the past decade, Balls has transitioned from intense anxiety regarding his speech to becoming a staple of national morning television.

This public comfort is a marked change from his early broadcasting days. In previous reflections on his career, Balls has stated, “Twelve years ago, I would be in meltdown, and in fact today, loving it!” His journey has been influenced by fellow public figures who also manage stammers. Notably, Balls has frequently credited pop singer Gareth Gates with providing the inspiration necessary to speak openly about his own challenges. In a poignant moment captured in 2024, an emotional Balls thanked Gates on-air for “breaking the ground” that allowed him to embrace his identity on camera.

The support provided by his co-host, Susanna Reid, has been a consistent feature of his tenure on Good Morning Britain. During the recent segment, Reid reinforced the importance of the STAMMA campaign by highlighting that patience is the primary tool for inclusive communication, reminding viewers that people who stammer “will get there eventually.”

As Balls continues his work on a high-pressure morning show, he acknowledges that while his speech may occasionally be “in-fluent,” it is a part of who he is. His ongoing public transparency serves as a key pillar for STAMMA’s mission, transforming personal vulnerability into a wider educational effort regarding communication etiquette across the UK.