Speech of the Month, August 2025 - Rylan Clark

Admittedly, August is a slow news month. And, admittedly, This Morning is only talked about by non-regular viewers when one of its presenters has been up to no good. However, these accepted norms were subverted this month when Rylan Clark set media tongues wagging when he set out his frustration about illegal immigration live on air. If this event has passed you by – maybe you were sunning yourself on the Cote D’Azur? – then here it is…

I’m not going to get into whether Rylan’s remarks were right or wrong. Yes, he has been criticised because some of his stats were off, but do we really expect Rylan, shooting from the hip on morning telly, to convey the same level of journalistic accuracy as we would, say, Chris Mason? And to be fair, before he reeled off a couple of inaccuracies, Rylan did say, “Here’s the narrative we’re being fed.” So, it’s difficult to know if he’s presenting that narrative or if the narrative is one he’s advocating. However, what I find interesting is why this mini-speech was so impactful, and here’s why I think it was…

The element of surprise

So the feature opens up in a familiar way: Rylan compliments a guest on the shade of his jumper. Any other time, this might have led to a discussion about colour analysis and why one presenter swears by it and the other thinks it’s a load of old tosh, but Rylan has an itinerary to get through so he says, “We need to talk about Nigel Farage, don’t we?” “Yes, we do,” agrees Camilla Tominey because, as a GB news presenter, that’s why she’s been invited on. Camilla gives her thinly disguised pro-Farage spiel and usually at this juncture the This Morning presenter would say, ‘Interesting. Thanks for that,’ and then move on to weight loss jabs or the irritation that are fruit flies. But not Rylan. Unexpectedly, he leans in to the debate. And he does so with clear-eyed candour and vim. What’s going on? This departure from the expected makes us sit up and listen. We're both nervous and excited. 

This is a good communication lesson for us all. If we have an important message to land, then doing it during the run-of-the-mill team weekly update might not do it justice. Maybe you’d be better to get everyone into your office for 15 minutes or send a punchy email. 

He was saying what most people are thinking

Several political commentors have commented (funny that) that Rylan’s speech grabbed attention because he was voicing what the vast majority of the British public feels about immigration. Lewis Goodall on The Newsagents said his views were “definitely that of the median voter.” 

I’m always surprised when I hear such commentary because, to me, there was nothing especially original about what Rylan said; I’ve heard very similar views voiced on numerous occasions. But I suppose what’s different is that I’ve heard friends and family voicing those views in private spaces, but maybe I hadn’t heard them being expressed in a public setting until Rylan opened his uber-veneered mouth.  

This incident reminded me of the moment when Danny Dyer criticised David Cameron for “turning on his heels” and abandoning the country after the Brexit referendum didn’t go his way. Again, that was probably the first time a working-class person voiced a sentiment that rang true with the bulk of the country – and it was impactful. So I think there can be value in airing publicly what people are whispering about at the water cooler. 

Rylan is super-authentic and confident

Unlike a lot of non-experts talking about immigration, Rylan didn’t feel the need to preface his mini speech with statements like, ‘Now I’m not racist but…’ or ‘I’m sorry if some people might find this offensive but…’ And rightly so. Because if you’re not racist and not out to offend, then why would you immediately go into denial mode? 

In an age where authenticity is so important, I’d say Rylan is a poster boy for this. He’s not remotely embarrassed or nervous about who he is (I can’t imagine there was ever a time when he was in the closet) where he’s from, what he thinks, and is totally upfront about any daft decisions or behaviour he’s made. 

Actually, he’s rather a curious mix. So, for someone who likes to dye his hair Elvis-black, have regular Botox and fillers, dental veneers etc, there’s also no artifice about him - because he's not hiding anything. Take note, Kate Beckinsale. Even his delivery style is a curious (yet appealing) mix of camp man meets East End geezer. 

I appreciate that for most of us it would be difficult to be warts-n-all in our professional lives all the time. But do consider if there are things you are reluctant to discuss that you could admit to.