TURNING up on breakfast telly in a vest was always going to cause a stir — and John Partridge proved it live on Good Morning Britain.

The former EastEnders actor, 55, appeared on Monday’s show wearing a grey vest and dark trousers, while host Richard Madeley was suited up in a black jacket, white shirt and tie. Within minutes, some viewers were already firing off critiques of the more casual choice.

On X, one person demanded: “WHAT is he wearing??? Far too much hair on show!” Another wrote: “You’re on tv mate, dress a bit better than wearing a vest”. Someone else asked, “Where’s his shirt…who goes on telly in a vest?” while another quipped: “Has he got gym after?”

Partridge was on the sofa to discuss playing Doctor Hannibal Lecter in an upcoming The Silence of the Lambs stage production, as part of a UK and Ireland theatre tour. He played Christian Clarke in EastEnders from 2008 to 2016.

Talking about the part, he said that after taking “the cannibalism out of the equation”, he and Lecter aren’t too different — describing the character as “cultured”, with a love of art, music and ballet, and joking they both share a “perfect size 10”. He added the stage version is based on the original Thomas Harris novel, with a few “slight differences”.

He’ll star alongside former Coronation Street actor Mollie Gallagher, who quit the soap in June. And while his outfit did the rounds online, Partridge arrived with one unmistakable prop: Hannibal’s mask, which he handed to Madeley to try on — prompting co-host Kate Garraway to squeal and call it “so disturbing!”