TV journalist Piers Morgan is officially exiting his role as a host on ITV’s Good Morning Britain. The move comes shortly after Morgan made comments about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry following their in-depth interview with Oprah Winfrey. During the Good Morning Britain episode, Morgan was called out by co-host Alex Beresford for his comments, leading the host to walk off the set.
News of Piers Morgan’s Good Morning Britain exit was initially reported by HuffPost contributor Yashar Ali. Shortly after, ITV released a brief statement on the matter:
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.
Piers Morgan has notably made a number of remarks about Meghan Markle that have sparked backlash from the public. On this episode of Good Morning Britain, Morgan criticized both Markle and Prince Harry, questioning whether or not the couple’s race-related claims were true. He also expressed skepticism when Markle revealed that she once had suicidal thoughts. This led Alex Beresford to shoot down Morgan’s sentiments, chastising him for making light of Markle’s comments and for criticizing her. With this, Morgan walked off the set, with Beresford referring to the move as “pathetic.”
The comments made by Piers Morgan generated quite a bit of backlash overseas. UK media regulator Offcom released a statement in which it confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the GMB episode under its harm and offense rules. And the company reports that as of today, it’s received 41,015 complaints about the episode.
As of this writing, Piers Morgan has yet to respond publicly to his Good Morning Britain departure. He did, however, post an ominous Twitter message around the time the news broke:
For a time, both Meghan Markle and Piers Morgan were friends, though Morgan claims she cut him out of her life shortly before she met Prince Harry. In the years since her marriage to the prince, Morgan has expressed critical thoughts about Markle, going as far as to call her a social climber. Morgan was also one of the many pundits to criticize the couple for their decision to step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family last year.
Aside from Meghan Markle, Piers Morgan has also come under fire for controversial remarks about other notable celebrities. Back in 2017, he made remarks about Kim Karadashian’s looks during an episode of Good Morning Britain, questioning whether “cellulite is to be celebrated.” He was also famously engaged in a feud with actress and singer Ariana Grande before they seemingly buried the hatchet.
We’ll be sure to keep you posted on more updates regarding the situation as they arrive.
