Piers Morgan has left Good Morning Britain, the show he hosts for British network ITV.
The decision was made after comments Morgan made after Oprah Winfrey’s revealing interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
In the interview, Meghan disclosed that she felt suicidal while she was pregnant with her son Archie, and was denied support by palace officials.
On Monday’s episode of GMB Morgan said, “I’m sorry, I don’t believe a word she says. I wouldn’t believe her if she read me a weather report.”
ITV is a partner of mental health charity Mind. ITV CEO, Dame Carolyn McCall, said that she “completely believe what she {Meghan] says” and that the network is “totally committed” to mental health.
In a statement, ITV 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.”
On Tuesday, Morgan justified his statement as, “my real concern was a disbelief, frankly…that she went to a senior member of the royal household, told them she was suicidal and was told she could not have any help because it would be a bad look for the family.”
“If that is true, a) that person if they are still there should be fired and b) the royal family has serious questions to answer about how they handled it.”
UK media regulator Ofcom received 41,015 complaints about the episode, making it the second most complained about show in history. Ofcom has also launched an investigation into the episode, citing their ‘harm and offence’ rules.
Oh the power feels good, gonna write Ofcom complaints more often 😂.
— Faisa ✨ (@FaisaTweets) March 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/luisarosssi/status/1369241180081446916?s=20
https://twitter.com/catroseobrien/status/1369357325530718226?s=20
ITV has previously been petitioned to remove the host, including a change.org petition to remove Morgan for transphobic comments. That petition has over 92,000 signatures.
On Tuesday’s episode, Morgan dramatically stormed off set after his co-presenter and weatherman Alex Beresford (pictured right in feature image) criticised his treatment of Markle.
“You don’t like Meghan Markle, you’ve made it so clear a number of times on this program. A number of times. And I understand that you’ve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle – or you 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.”
Beresford’s comments refer to the fact that reportedly, after striking up an online correspondence, Morgan and Markle met for drinks in 2016. This was the end of their relationship and, later that night, Markle met Prince Harry.
In a Daily Mail column in 2018, Morgan wrote that he had been “ghosted”. Then, a December 2018 Daily Mail headline read ‘Meghan Markle is a ruthless social climbing actress who has landed the role of her life and is determined to milk it for all she can – and that’s why the Palace is beginning to turn on her’.
After Beresford’s comments, Morgan stormed off the set, saying, “I can’t do this.”
Beresford, who is mixed race, then continued, “I’m sorry, but Piers spouts off on a regular basis, and we all have to sit there and listen. 6.30 to 7 o’clock yesterday was incredibly hard to watch…he has the ability to come in here and talk from a position where he doesn’t fully understand.”
I wish I had the privilege to sit on the fence. In order for me to do that I would have to strip myself of my identity and that’s not something I can do. It’s not any of our places to pick apart claims of racism in order to make us to feel more comfortable. ❤️
— Alex Beresford (@alexberesfordTV) March 9, 2021
Between March 8th and 9th, Morgan posted thirty-three seperate tweets about Markle.
The show has also been criticised for giving a platform to the Duchess’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, who appeared on Tuesday’s episode.
Morgan has not yet made a statement on his departure from the show, other than to tweet a gif of a clock ticking.
