Richard Lanigan appeared alongside Kate, 51, and Ranvir, 40, on ITV‘s Good Morning Britain as well as Doctor Hilary Jones to defend his position.
The father-of-three claimed that avoiding modern medicine made the immune system stronger and so subsequently has not allowed his children to be immunised.
But the trio were keen to take Richard to task over his views and they didn’t hold back.
Kate asked: “Why do you think you know more than doctors?”
“Why would they know more than me?” Richard asked. “Let’s change the subject slightly.”
But Kate protested: “Well no, can you answer the question?”
Richard went on to explain how he had been diagnosed with cancer a number of years ago but eventually shunned chemotherapy after 22 months against the advice of doctors.
“Four years ago I consumed 60 grams of cannabis oil over a three month period,” he explained.
“That’s a form of medication,” Ranvir observed.
Clearly angered, Hilary, 65, hit out: “He wants to go back to a world where a quarter to half of all children died before their ninth birthday. Antibiotics have saved billions of lives.”
That wasn’t the only clash Richard and Hilary had as the doctor was bemused when the guest claimed Rubella, also known as German measles, wasn’t “dangerous”.
“Rubella isn’t a dangerous disease,” Richard insisted.
“It is,” Hilary firmly replied, shocked by Richard’s comments.
Richard continued: “Unless a pregnant woman is exposed to it.”
“And your daughters could one day be pregnant,” Hilary protested.
“We went to the doctors to see if they had antibodies against Rubella,” Richard said before producing a pamphlet.
Richard said it was a leaflet from the British Medical Journal, stating: “1959, here it says.”
“A bit out of date,” Hilary chimed in as he looked at the pamphlet himself.
As the debate wound down, Hilary noted how Richard had a Masters in Health Promotion.
“It’s illness promotion you’re promoting at the moment,” he said.
Finally, Kate ended the spirited discussion as she said: “I can see you two aren’t going to agree but it’s very interesting to hear what you have to say.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
