Lisa Riley has been left facing fierce backlash after insisting she understands how the Beckhams feel, claiming she and her partner are “a brand too” while discussing the family’s explosive feud on Loose Women.
The Emmerdale star appeared on Tuesday’s episode alongside Kaye Adams, Janet Street-Porter and Oti Mabuse as the panel dissected Brooklyn Beckham’s bombshell Instagram statement, in which he accused parents David Beckham and Victoria Beckham of being “controlling” and confirmed he has no desire to reconcile.
As the discussion turned to family tensions and in-law dynamics, Kaye asked whether the panel could relate on a personal level, even if not in business terms. Lisa responded by reflecting on her own relationship with fiancé Al, admitting she desperately wanted his mother’s approval and felt judged because she couldn’t cook, joking that she “wasn’t a very good wife in what she wanted”.
She went on to say that over time, things softened as Al’s mum saw how happy her son was, before adding the comment that sparked ridicule online: that she and Al are “a brand” because they both work in television.
Lisa explained that while she is the public-facing half of the relationship, being on TV inevitably comes with scrutiny, adding that having her father’s approval and seeing how happy she is now has brought her peace after years of failed relationships.
Viewers watching at home were unconvinced. Many took to X to mock the comparison, with one writing that hearing “Mandy from Emmerdale” liken herself to the Beckhams “really takes the biscuit”, while others simply responded with confusion or disbelief.
The segment aired just days after Brooklyn made a series of incendiary claims, including alleging that his mother “hijacked” his first dance with wife Nicola Peltz at their £3.5 million Palm Beach wedding in 2022, leaving him “humiliated”. He also claimed his parents pressured him to sign away the rights to his name and attempted to undermine his relationship long before the wedding.
Later in the episode, Lisa struck a more emotional tone as she opened up about her fertility struggles, revealing that years of IVF left her feeling “diminished” and like “a jigsaw with a missing piece”, before accepting that motherhood was not meant to be part of her journey.
