Kevin Maguire joined in the St George’s Day celebrations on Good Morning Britain – but then pointed out that England’s patron saint had never visited England.
GMB aired a furious St George’s Day segment (Image: ITV)
Good Morning Britain raised some eyebrows this morning (April 23), as Kevin Maguire exclaimed: “Today, St George’s Day, where we celebrate the Turkish migrant worker who never came to Britain. He’d be banned from Britain now, actually!”
The comment, during a discussion about the festivities with the likes of Susanna Reid, sparked astonishment and prompted one viewer to take to X to comment that St George would have been a refugee, claiming asylum for persecution. The viewer wrote: “Always fascinated at how the patron saint of England had never visited England. St George was born in Cappadocia, Turkey. He was killed by Roman Emperor Diocletian for refusing to denounce Christianity and instead worship the Roman gods in 303 AD.”
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St. George’s Day celebrations in London (Image: Getty)
The viewer continued: “By the 5th century, churches were being dedicated to him in Jerusalem, Egypt, and Syria.
“By the 6th century, his name appeared in Christian texts across Europe, and he was revered as a military saint, a protector of soldiers and defenders of the faith.
“During the 11th-13th century Crusades, English knights fighting in the Holy Land heard stories of St George appearing in visions to help Christian armies. He was seen as a divine warrior—ideal for a nation romanticising knighthood and bravery.”
The viewer went on to add that St George finally became the patron saint in the 14th century when he was adopted by Edward III as the emblem of the Order of the Garter.
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It wasn’t until 1415 that St George’s Day was officially made a national feast day in England – but the viewer argued that in today’s world, St George would have been a refugee.
“Technically, without a British passport or visa St George wouldn’t be able to come to the UK today. However, as he was being persecuted, he could claim asylum in the UK under the 1951 Refugee Convention,” he exclaimed.
Meanwhile, another debate has emerged over suggestions that St George’s Day shouldn’t be celebrated as it’s not inclusive enough to an increasingly diverse population.
One tweeter took a swipe back, writing: “Fly your flag PROUDLY. And if any leftie claims you should take it down, simply give them lentils, avocado and a Vegan recommendation to shut them up.”
