Piers Morgan to leave Good Morning Britain following
Meghan Markle row
Tuesday 9
March 2021, 7:34pm
ITV News
reporter Martha Fairlie has the latest on the development
Piers
Morgan has left his role as a presenter on Good Morning Britain, ITV has
announced.
The
announcement comes after broadcasting regulator Ofcom launched an investigation
after it received more than 41,000 complaints regarding comment made by the
presenter following Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey.
In a
statement, the broadcaster said: "Following discussions with ITV, Piers
Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain.
"ITV
has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add."
The Duchess
of Sussex opened up about her suicidal thoughts during her time in the Royal
Family in a deeply personal and explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey. Meghan
said she got to the stage where she “just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
After the
clip aired, Morgan said during Monday’s programme: “I’m sorry, I don’t believe
a word she says.
Piers
Morgan storms off Good Morning Britain following heated discussion with
co-presenter Alex Beresford
“I wouldn’t
believe her if she read me a weather report.”
An Ofcom
spokesperson said: “We have launched an investigation into Monday’s episode of
Good Morning Britain under our harm and offence rules.”
During
Tuesday’s programme, Morgan addressed his comments about Meghan’s mental
health.
He said:
“When we talked about this yesterday, I said as an all-encompassing thing I
don’t believe what Meghan Markle is saying generally in this interview, and I
still have serious concerns about the veracity of a lot of what she said.
“But let me
just state on the record my position about mental illness and on suicide. These
are clearly extremely serious things that should be taken extremely seriously,
and if someone is feeling that way they should get the treatment and help they
need every time."
Morgan also
stormed off set on Tuesday after co-presenter Alex Beresford branded his
behaviour "diabolical" following his controversial remarks.
Speaking
about the death of Diana, the 55-year-old former newspaper editor said Harry
"couldn't let it go", but "William went through the same thing
and he's managed to come to terms with the media and he works with the
media".
Weather
presenter Beresford then interjected and said the Royal couple had "had an
overwhelming amount of negative press".
"There
was bad press around the engagement... and everything that has followed
since."
He added
this had "been incredibly damaging, quite clearly, to Meghan’s mental
health and also to Harry...
“And I hear
Piers say William has gone through the same thing but, do you know what,
siblings experience tragedy in their life and one will be absolutely fine and
brush it off and the other will not be able to deal with it so strongly and
that is clearly what has happened with Harry in this situation.
Meghan
tells Oprah about “concerns and conversations' about Archie's skin colour
“He walked
behind his mother’s coffin at a tender, tender age in front of the globe. That
is going to shape a young boy for the rest of his life, so I think we all need
to take a step back, and I understand that you don’t like Meghan Markle, you’ve
made it so clear a number of times on this programme…”
“And I
understand you’ve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle or had one and
she cut you off.
"She’s
entitled to cut you off if she wants to. Has she said anything about you since
she cut you off?
"I
don’t think she has but yet you continue to trash her…”
Morgan then
stood up and said: “OK, I’m done with this” and walked off set, saying: “Sorry,
no… sorry, can’t do this…” as he stormed off set as Beresford called his
actions "diabolical behaviour".
Oprah With
Meghan and Harry is available to watch on demand on ITV Hub for viewers in the
UK.
Piers Morgan stands by Meghan criticism after
Good Morning Britain exit
10-3-2021
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56343768
Piers
Morgan has said he stands by his criticism of the Duchess of Sussex as ITV's
Good Morning Britain airs for the first time since his departure.
It was
announced on Tuesday that Morgan would leave the show after saying he
"didn't believe a word" Meghan said in her interview with Oprah
Winfrey.
Addressing
his exit, co-host Susanna Reid said she had disagreed with his comments - and
added: "Shows go on."
Ofcom is
investigating his comments after receiving 41,000 complaints.
It is not
yet certain who will replace Morgan on the GMB sofa and Ranvir Singh, who was
sitting in his chair on Wednesday, said: "We don't call him Marmite for
nothing."
In a tweet
earlier, as the programme was beginning, Morgan said: "On Monday, I said I
didn't believe Meghan Markle in her Oprah interview. I've had time to reflect
on this opinion, and I still don't."
He added:
"Freedom of speech is a hill I'm happy to die on."
On Tuesday,
before leaving the show, Morgan stormed off set after a discussion with his
colleague Alex Beresford over the duchess.
Piers
Morgan leaves GMB after Meghan complaints
An
emotional Reid told viewers there are "many voices" on GMB and
"everyone has their say", adding that "some of you may cheer and
others may boo" Morgan's departure.
"He
has been my presenting partner, Monday to Wednesday, for more than five years
and during Brexit and the pandemic and other issues, he has been a voice for
many of you and a voice that many of you have railed against," she said.
"It is
certainly going to be very different but shows go on and so on we go."
Singh added
that Morgan was a "big character" and acknowledged that many viewers
would be "gutted".
On Monday's
programme, Morgan said he did not believe a word the duchess had said to
Winfrey about her mental health during the headline-making interview, first
aired in the US on Sunday.
He also
said: "The fact that she's fired up this onslaught against our Royal
Family I think is contemptible."
A total of
41,015 complaints were made to media watchdog Ofcom by 14:00 GMT on Tuesday,
the second highest number of complaints in Ofcom's 17-year history.
On Tuesday,
ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall said she "completely believed what
[the duchess] says", adding that ITV is "totally committed to"
mental health.
Mental
health charity Mind, which is a partner with ITV on its Britain Get Talking
campaign, also criticised Morgan, saying it was "disappointed" by the
presenter's comments.
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