BBC radio hosts Vernon Kay and Jeremy Vine locked horns live on-air over one of the day’s major talking points. Earlier this week, Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary called for airports to prohibit early-morning alcohol sales, revealing that his airline is forced to divert one flight daily due to disruption from intoxicated passengers. Airport bars are exempt from the standard licensing restrictions and opening hours that apply elsewhere. Speaking to the Times, Mr O’Leary said: “It’s becoming a real challenge for all airlines. I fail to understand why anybody in airport bars is serving people at five or six o’clock in the morning. Who needs to be drinking beer at that time? There should be no alcohol served at airports outside licensing hours.” In the UK, being drunk on an aircraft is a criminal offence carrying a potential two-year prison sentence and a fine of up to £5,000.
Jeremy had a differing view to Vernon (Image: Nordin Catic/Getty Images)
Mr O’Leary’s suggestion has sparked fierce debate and split opinion among many, including BBC Radio 2 presenters Vernon and Jeremy. While Vernon backed Mr O’Leary’s proposal, Jeremy firmly opposed it, reports the Mirror.
Vernon said: “If people can’t drink responsibly, then remove the reason why they can’t drink responsibly and just have normal drinking hours in an airport. Why is an airport different to anywhere else? Why can you get a pint at half four in the morning in an airport but not in a pub?”
However, Jeremy countered: “Maybe the airport’s got it right, maybe everything should be open all the time, but why would you punish the person who can drink two pints of lager without shouting ‘Are you looking at my bird?’ Why is that person getting punished?”
Vernon fired back: “Because you’re on an aeroplane. I don’t want some clown affecting the flight and you’re going to end up in Italy somewhere because the clowns’ got to get off.”
Later, following a discussion about cochlear implants, Vernon indicated he wished to revisit the airport drinking debate and its impact on families travelling by air.
Vernon and Jeremy locked horns over a drinking debate (Image: ITV)
He said: “I’m not being a Derek downer… it’s sounds like I am but when you’ve got families on planes, kids don’t need to witness that kind of behaviour.
Jeremy replied: “I think the trouble is you’re then stopping people drinking one and a half pints which would be my kind of total maximum amount.”
As Jeremy prepared to wrap up, the friction between the pair had clearly eased, with Vernon warmly bidding farewell to his BBC colleague: “Thank you Jeremy have a great show. You can leave now with your 70s attitudes.”
The debate between Vernon and Jeremy followed comments from Mr O’Leary, and came in the wake of budget carrier Jet2 putting forward a proposal for a UK-wide database that would enable airlines to work together to ban unruly passengers.
