Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley shared a tragic update on Good Morning Britain.

Good Morning Britain halted for tragic update (Image: ITV)

Good Morning Britain hosts shared devastating news regarding a teenager’s tragic death. During Thursday’s (December 18) edition of the popular ITV show, Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley brought viewers up to speed on the day’s major stories from Britain and around the world.

Their studio colleague Ranvir Singh delivered additional news updates, whilst Alex Beresford gave regular weather reports throughout the programme. Later on, Richard and Kate addressed the heartbreaking story of 16-year-old Murray Dowey, who sadly ended his own life after falling victim to blackmail on Instagram. “Now, his mum and dad, Ros and Mark, claim the trillion dollar company privatised profit over safety… [They] are taking legal action against the internet giant Meta for the alleged wrongful death of their son,” Kate revealed. “It’s thought to be the first UK case of its kind.” Richard continued: “Murray Dowey was comprehensively tricked by scammers on Instagram, which of course is owned by Meta. He thought he was sending intimate pictures of himself to a teenage girl roughly his own age, but he wasn’t,” reports the Daily Star.

16-year-old Murray Dowey sadly took his own life in 2023 (Image: ITV)

“He was sending them to a gang. And the moment they got them, they revealed themselves and they blackmailed him, and he succumbed and took his own life. His parents claim that the company is prioritising profit and missed opportunities to protect teenagers.”

Broadcasting from Dunblane, Scotland, our correspondent Juliet Dunlop reported: “Ros and Mark Dowey should be looking forward to spending Christmas with their son, but instead, they are taking on the world’s biggest social media company Meta on his behalf.”

She added: “A company they firmly believe could have prevented his death in December 2023.”

In a deeply moving interview filmed last year, Murray’s father Mark voiced his overwhelming anguish: “One of the reasons it’s so devastating is it comes into your house, exactly where Murray should have been safest, in his room asleep. Just switch the phone off, walk away from them, go and get help. I wish [he had] done that.”

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Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway hosted GMB on Thursday (Image: ITV)

Consumed with heartbreak, Mark confessed: “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

Juliet went on to explain: “Murray’s family have tried to campaign to raise awareness of this type of crime, which sadly, is on the rise. But their grief has turned to anger… Lawyers acting on their behalf claim that Meta knew of safety features that could prevent sextortion prior to his death.”

The report also included Murray’s mother Ros, who declared defiantly: “They could have prevented the death of Murray, our son. He would be here if the product had been fixed. I know what we’re taking on, we’re taking on one of the biggest global organisations. Bring it on.”