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Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg was thrown into chaos just minutes into the BBC programme. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson appeared on the politics show where she repeatedly shut down the presenter, with viewers dubbing the awkward on air moment as "disastrous".

It comes as Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to lead Labour into the next general election and said closer ties with Europe will be at the heart of his response following a devastating blow for the Labour Party. The humiliating local elections results has sparked calls for Starmer's resignation, as one of his own MPs, Catherine West, told cabinet ministers to challenge him in a leadership contest by Monday, warning that if they fail to do so, she will.

Bridget said while she doesn't agree with Catherine gunning for a leadership contest, the education secretary agreed that Labour got a "real kicking" at the polling stations but the party should not be "arguing amongst themselves", before the interview took an awkward turn.

Laura said, "Voters have told you in their millions that it's not good enough." But as the host attempted to ask a question the education secretary continued to speak over her as Bridget told Laura to "hang on".

The Labour MP began listing off the party's achievements including lifting the two-child cap benefit, improving employee rights and the Renters Rights Act.

As the pair spoke over one another, Laura remarked, "Forgive me, this morning people want to hear how you propose how your government deals with being absolutely hammered at the ballot box.

"And the problem that you have got is there is a growing number of your own MPs who think Keir Starmer is not capable of doing that."

The presenter asked: "What is Starmer going to do differently?"

Bridget began to deliver a monologue but Laura interjected on two occassions as she attempted to get a direct answer to the question she posed.

"I will answer your question," the education secretary replied. "Look, look... I will answer it but there is context here."

Laura could be heard taking a huge sigh in the background as a frustrated Bridget hit back.

The host commented: "With respect secretary...."

Rasing her voice, Bridget argued: "I will answer you directly now!" as she continued to talk about disillusioned voters under Tory rule.

The BBC presenter remarked: "I'm asking you a direct question that people want an answer to." As Bridget continued to speak, Laura uttered, "You sound very frustrated."

Viewers took to X and issued the same complaint, as one penned: "This is a disastrous interview with the education secretary #bbclaurak."

Another commented: "No Phillipson. People do not want you to go faster. They hate what you are doing #bbclaurak." A third slammed: "Absolutely vile!"

A fourth added: "Pretty extraordinary that @bphillipsonMP is doing #TrevorPhillips #BBCLauraK, and spouting the same 'it's awful for us', 'we need to change' that @Conservatives did after the General Election battering. Labour aren't even two years in yet!"

Local election results on Saturday underlined the challengeS facing Starmer, with Reform taking control in Barnsley and pushing Labour out of office in Bradford while a Green surge took Lewisham and forced Labour out in Lambeth for the first time in 20 years.