Susanna Reid left in stitches on GMB as Ed Balls reveals the reason his wife Yvette Cooper immediately returned a Christmas present he bought her

Ed Balls revealed he once bought his wife, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, a size 16 dress for Christmas.

The former Labour Cabinet minister, 57, left co-presenter Susanna Reid in stitches, on Good Morning Britain after he revealed he bought his slender wife, 55, the frock which was much too big for her, after he guessed her dress size. 

The comical moment came after newsreader Charlotte Hawkins revealed a survey said a third of people claim to love gifts they actually hate.

Sharing his own experience, she said: ‘I bought Yvette a dress once and she looked at me and said ”honestly have you got the receipt? I’m taking it straight back’.’

‘She said ‘thanks for the thought but frankly I am never wearing that, I will have the receipt and I’ll take it back’. It was my best effort, it didn’t take me too long to be honest.   

Susanna quipped: ‘Christmas must be fun at your house… was it the style or the size that you got really badly wrong?’

To which Ed replied: ‘The size was 14 or 16 I can’t remember, I gambled on the size.’

Susanna added: ‘Yes you did, you really did from what I know of Yvette.’ 

Elsewhere Susanna said she would be ‘grateful’ for any gift given to her, saying it’s ‘really weird’ to be ungrateful. 

She said: ‘I think it’s strange to say to someone ‘I don’t like it’, if someone has given you a gift it shows they have been thoughtful.’

However Ed said he has previously been honest with his wife about a birthday present he didn’t like. 

He said: ‘One birthday Yvette bought me a colander and saucepan, I didn’t need a colander for my birthday.’

Pip Heywood, Managing Director at thortful, which commissioned the survey of 2,000 Brits, said: ‘A meaningful message can often mean more than a last-minute, impulse purchase.

‘Our research shows we’re a sentimental nation that appreciates a heartfelt message over wasted presents. This Christmas, we’re encouraging more thoughtful, meaningful connections across the nation.’

As many as 69 per cent of Brits would not dream of telling someone they didn’t like a gift given to them – with a third regularly pretending to like pressies they actually hate, according to a new survey.

In fact, half admit they often receive Christmas gifts they dislike – so much so that 60 per cent believe they have perfected the art of faking their joy.

Ed revealed he once bought his wife Home Secretary Yvette Cooper a size 16 dress for Christmas but she asked for the receipt 

Ed and Yvette Cooper outside their home in London in 2016 

The awkward moment comes after Ed was forced to sit out an interview with his wife Yvette on Good Morning Britain earlier this month after sparking a ‘bias’ row.

The former Labour Cabinet minister left co-presenter Susanna to ask the questions during the Home Secretary’s appearance this morning.

‘As you know she’s my wife, so I’ll sit this one out,’ Mr Balls said.

It came after ITV conceded that he would not be allowed to interrogate his spouse again following an outcry in August.

The previous interview was branded ’embarrassing to the extreme’ by viewers concerned about the potential conflict of interest – although bosses insisted that both behaved ‘professionally’ and it was not against rules.

Thousands of people made official complaints to the regulator about the episode of the breakfast show which included Ms Cooper being questioned over the Labour government’s handling of riots. 

Ed served as Education Secretary and shadow chancellor before losing his Commons seat in 2015, and pursuing a career on TV.

He asked his wife during the exchange on August 5 whether officers had policed protests by far-right activists and pro-Palestine demonstrators differently.

Yvette, who has three children with him, responded by saying police had to operate ‘without fear or favour, whatever the kinds of crimes it is that they face’.

He also asked her whether there had been a ‘two-tier approach’ to policing, and if police have been ‘softer and more cautious’ when policing the Gaza demonstrations compared with a ‘tougher’ approach over the previous week. 

Before that interview, Ed told viewers he had ‘genuine questions’ for Yvette, as he has ‘rarely seen her at all in the last week’ because of the recent disorder.

The following month the boss of ITV vowed the scenes would not be repeated, despite Ofcom not pursuing an investigation.

Chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said: ‘Would we do it again? No. Was it impartial, fair and balanced? And did they behave professionally? Yes.’