'When May makes Phillip Schofield look like Paxman you know something has gone wrong': This Morning viewers accuse the PM of 'struggling' in TV sofa grilling as she hits back insisting she will 'jolly well get on with the job'

This Morning viewers today said Theresa May's appearance on the sofa was so poor she made presenter Philip Schofield look like the veteran political journalist Jeremy Paxman.

The Prime Minister was today accused of 'struggling' to answer questions as she appeared on the television programme.

The ITV presenter quizzed the PM on the morning sofa - challenging her about what she is doing on mental health, education and her 'beleaguered' leadership. 

Mrs May insisted that she is 'jolly well' getting on with the job of leading the country and does not pay attention to rumours backbenchers are poised to oust her.

Some viewers were left less than impressed and took to Twitter to lampoon her performance. 

But others praised her for grappling with tough policy issues and talking about vocational education - often dubbed a 'Cinderella service' because it is overlooked.

Appearing on This Morning today, the PM was asked directly is she enjoying being in Number 10.

She said: 'Yes. Throughout my life whenever I have taken jobs on I just get on and do it.' 

Theresa May today insisted she is enjoying Prime Minister - as she said sh is jolly well getting on with the job of leading the country.

The Prime Minister insisted that she does not give much thought to the continued speculation that she could face a leadership challenge when she was quizzed about it by presenter Phillip Schofield

Theresa May put on one of This Morning's 'Be Kind' wristband- the programme has distributed thousands of the bands as part of their campaign to tackle bullying 

She added: 'There are huge issues to be dealing with that are worthwhile. If we can help children not to be bullied, if we can keep people safe on the internet.'

Mr Schofield pressed the point, asking her: 'When you see the words 'beleaguered', 'hanging on by a thread', 'loss of power', don't you spend a lot of your time instead of looking forward, looking behind you to see who's about to stab you in the back?' 

But Mrs May replied: 'For me it is all about what I can do for the public...that's what drives me.

'I am doing a job and I am going to jolly on get on and do it. 

'What drives me is not what is written but what people want.' 

Mr Schofield continued: 'But you can't have imagined it'd be like this?'

Mrs May responded: 'There are huge issues to be dealing with but it's worthwhile'

Asked if she felt 'secure' No 10, she added: 'Yes I'm doing a job and I'm going to get on with it.'  

But some viewers criticised her performance on Twitter.

Aman Thakar, a Labour activist, wrote: 'When Theresa May is struggling her way through an interview on and making Phillip Schofield look like Jeremy Paxman, you know things have gone dreadfully wrong.'

Other viewers took aim at the PM over her policies on tackling mental health problems and university funding.

Writing on Twitter Eleise Evans said the PM 'needs to look at uni fees as a whole.

'I'm a student nurse Wales and luckily my tuition fees are covered but we do not get more than £3000 pa student loan.

'I don't mind paying back, but we need more to live on while studying and placement. It's stressful.' 

And teaching assistant Jo Woodhouse hit out at the PM over her claims that she has funded schools to help childrens' with the mental health.

She wrote: 'Tell Teresa May that I work in a school as a TA and teachers don't have the time to be counselling pupils, teachers are ran off their feet as are TA's.' 

Mrs May was making her first appearance on the This Morning sofa since becoming PM in 2016.

And she used the televised chat to talk about her plans to launch a review of university funding and tuition fees.

And she also restated her commitment to tackling mental health illness in young people.   

Other viewers praised the PM's performance and said she was trying to come up with policies to address the country's problems.

Chloe Westcott said: 'A good interview with @theresa_may on @thismorning. Good to see they’re looking into tuition fees, creating variation in career paths for young people and mental health programmes in schools.

'Refreshing to see the (government) recognising problems, holding hands up and trying to fix it.'    

A young lighting designer also praised the PM on Twitter for highlighting the importance of vocational education.

Labour activists was among viewers who took to Twitter to criticise the PM's performance on the This Morning sofa

Another viewer who is a teaching assistant criticised the PM, saying that teachers do not have enough time to look after their pupils' mental health as well as their grades

Another viewer who is a student nurse took aim at the PM over the amount of funding university students get

Other viewers praised the PM's performance and said she was trying to come up with policies to address the country's problems.

Other viewers poked fun at the line of questioning the PM received on the television show 

Another viewer praised the PM for talking about vocational education and not just higher education 

Another viewer was full of praise for the PM - saying she believes in what she is talking about

He said: 'Good point by Theresa May about technical and vocational education... University is NOT the only way forward!' 

Amanda from Lancashire wrote: '@thismorning @theresa_may ~ great to hear the consideration being given to university costs. 

'Particularly after our recent family experience & being charged £2.5k for 12 hours of tuition and now we are being fobbed off!' 

In her interview Mrs May said there are 'people who will benefit from going to university and those who don't' and it is 'right' that those who benefit make a contribution to their education.

She said: 'I think what we need to do now is say we have a system of fees in education, but some issues have arisen.

'Concern not just students themselves, but their families, their parents, their grandparents, have about the level of debt they build up and also a concern that basically universities charge the same, whatever course you're doing, they will charge the same.

'And so there is some questions for universities.'

She also told the programme: 'A lot of people are being encouraged to go to university, but actually it isn't necessarily right for them.

'And this is what we've got to look at. And we've got to say, is it that students aren't being given the opportunities? 

'Is it this sort of issue about, well, its better to go to university even if you might not want to?' That sort of attitude that we've got.

'We need to say, let's value technical education, let's value other forms of training and education.'

Mrs May said it was time to break 'old fashioned' attitudes about technical education - which will be part of the higher education review.

Theresa May, pictured today at a sixth form pupils in west London ahead of a speech about post-18 education funding

She told the programme: 'For a long time I've worried about the fact that in this country we're very good at saying academic education is good and for everybody, but we've never put sufficient emphasis on technical and vocational education.

Some think that technical education is something for 'other people's children', the Prime Minister said.

'We've got to break this old fashioned attitude that there's only one way through in education.

'And we've got to say, I've always believed that what we should say is 'what's right for every young person? What's right for every child?' 

'Because education can unlock the door of your future.'

Willoughby, who has three children, said that as a mother she is concerned about the dangers of cyber bullying and other online threats which could lie ahead of them.

But Mrs May insisted that she is doing a lot to try to make the cyber world safer for young people.

Theresa May, pictured today at the sixth form today, is ordering a year-long review into university tuition fees 

She said the government has invested in taking down child pornography and other criminal and offensive content.

She said she is determined to make Britain 'the safest place in the world' to be on the internet.

Her appearance comes as she announces that the Government will hold a year-long review into university tuition fees and and higher education.

The Prime Minister will use a speech later today will say it is not sustainable for Britain to have among the most expensive courses in the world.

The proposed changes are expected to mean some arts and social science courses become cheaper or shorter in future to reduce overall costs of university places.