OH RANVIR
Good Morning Britain viewers left wincing at host’s accidental remark while interviewing man blinded in pub attack
Matthew has since undergone surgery in a bid to restore his vision
GOOD Morning Britain viewers were left wincing as Ranvir Singh made an accidental remark while interviewing a man who had been blinded in a pub attack.
Former Leeds Rhinos player Matthew Syron, 32, was on a night out with pals at Revolution de Cuba when he bumped into Gareth Dean last December.
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The yob then smashed a glass into Matthew's face - causing the shards to pierce his face and eyeballs.
He was left writhing in agony on the ground with blood pouring from his eyes following the Boxing Day horror attack.
Matthew joined Richard Madeley and Ranvir Singh on Thursday morning, as he opened up about his terrifying ordeal and his campaign to ban the use of glass in nightclubs.
Ranvir then asked Matthew about the attacker - who turned himself in six days later and was found drunk and high on cocaine at the time of the attack.
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But the TV host made a huge slip-up when she said Dean was "high on cocaine and blind drunk".
Ranvir immediately apologised for her mistake and said: "I’m sorry to use the term blind, I shouldn’t have said that."
She added: "He was drunk and he was high on cocaine."
Many ITV viewers were not impressed with the inappropriate blunder.
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One wrote: "Ranvir dear God, think before you speak."
A second simply posted: "Insensitive."
While another viewer sympathised with Ranvir and said: "Bloody hell poor Ranvir, [she] defo didn’t mean that."
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Dean has now been jailed for ten years and eight months, with a further five years on licence, after he admitted causing GBH with intent.
Leeds Crown Court heard the thug has ten previous convictions for 15 offences, including serious violence.
In a powerful victim impact statement, Matthew said he was left feeling suicidal following the attack.
He added: "I have gone from being a person that doesn't need anything from anyone to now being a 32-year-old that's like a baby. It is soul-destroying.
"I hate every day."
The court heard both men had separately been in the club in Leeds after watching a rugby league match earlier that day.
Dean had an arm-wrestling competition with one of Matthew's friends, which was said to have ended in good spirits.
But CCTV later showed the attacker reaching across another man and smashing the glass in the player's face.
He then fled the club to continue his night out before handing himself into police six days later.
Dean admitted he had sunk 15 pints that night and also tested positive for cocaine.
Matthew has since undergone surgery in a bid to restore his vision and can now see lights from one of his eyes.
It is not known if his vision will ever improve and remains "in limbo" about the future.
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Matthew played for England Community Lions under-18s and signed for Leeds Rhinos in 2010.
In 2012, he joined Oldham before emigrating to Australia to join the Thirroul Butchers club, who play in the Illawarra Rugby League.
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