Politics
ITV boss refuses to comment on calls for Piers Morgan to lose GMB job over Meghan Markle comments
ITV boss Carolyn McCall has refused to deny Piers Morgan could lose his job on Good Morning Britain over his comments about Meghan Markle.
The outspoken TV host, 55, has ruffled feathers thanks to his reaction to Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah alongside Harry, which has led to calls for him to be sacked.
Addressing the backlash over Piers’ comments, in particular his refusal to believe Meghan felt suicidal, CEO Carolyn today admitted: “We are dealing with that as we speak.”
When pushed on if he would be sacked, she said: “I’m not making any comments on this.”
She revealed that Piers has been spoken to by ITV programmer Kevin Lygo and that her views on the matter are entirely different.
She shared: “I completely believe what she [Meghan] said, that the most important thing with mental health that ITV does and is totally committed to, is that we support, we get people to speak up, we listen, we say everyone has to listen and everyone has to believe because that’s how you get people to speak up. So we are very committed to that.
“We work with Mind and we work with CALM and we work with the whole range of health charities, and we will continue to do so.
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EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
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Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
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If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
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- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
“I haven’t spoken to Piers myself, but I know Kevin Lygo is speaking to him on a regular basis and has done so the last couple of days.”
In the interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan told how life as a royal became unbearable and she “didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, just hours after the interview aired in the US, Piers said “I don’t believe a word she says.”
Following his rant, a series of petitions were launched begging bosses to axe him from the morning show.
Unconcerned, Piers responded to the backlash and tweeted:” Lots of people on here want me fired for expressing my opinion on the Pinocchio Princess.
“If you want to join them, there are various petitions still doing the rounds from the last few times you’ve all tried, and failed, to have me fired for saying what I think.”
Today Piers stormed out of the GMB studio after his colleague Alex Beresford’s monologue criticising him for continually attacking Meghan.
Alex said he found it “hard to watch” a half hour segment of yesterday’s show in which Piers savaged the interview.
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Piers didn’t like what his co-star had to say, refusing to listen before snapping “I’m not having this” and heading to the studio exit.
He was off-screen for almost 20 minutes, but later returned, slamming Alex for “launching a personal derogatory attack” on someone that he works with.
