"We generally prioritise [interviews] with people who can be held accountable," he said on Twitter, after stressing that the decision to cancel Allen's appearance had nothing to do with the comments she made on Channel 4.

Earlier in the evening, in an interview with Jon Snow, Allen had accused the government of trying to "micro-manage" people's grief.

"I have never in my entire life seen an event like this where the death count has been downplayed by the mainstream media," Allen said.