Entertainment
Piers Morgan ‘quit Good Morning Britain after refusing to apologise to Meghan Markle on-air’
Piers Morgan reportedly quit Good Morning Britain after refusing to apologise on-air to Meghan Markle for comments he made about her.
The broadcaster, 55, had caused outrage after his comments about Meghan and Prince Harry’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, claiming he was sceptical about her having had suicidal thoughts.
Sources have claimed to The Sun that the reason Piers quit so suddenly was because bosses had asked him to apologise on air which he refused to do.
Piers had been involved in a heated clash with weather presenter Alex Beresford, 40, about his comments, which resulted in Piers storming off set.
The insider claimed: ‘Piers was not going to back down. He was asked to make an apology but refused. He says he is entitled to his opinion and is always going to stand by it.
‘When he refused to apologise, there was a stand-off. And ultimately it ended with him telling producers he would not host the show anymore.
‘His contract was coming to an end this year anyway, but he said he wouldn’t do the job unless it was on his terms.’
The source claims there was ‘growing pressure’ for him to apologise after 41,000 people complained to Ofcom about his comments, with the charity Mind also expressing their concerns to ITV.
Piers had stated on GMB after the interview aired: ‘I’m angry to the point of bawling over today. I’m sickened by what I just had to watch.
‘This is a two-hour trashathon of our royal family, of the monarchy and everything our queen has worked so hard for and it’s all been done while Prince Philip lies in hospital.
‘They trash everybody. They basically make out our Royal family are a bunch of white supremacists by this race bombshell. They didn’t name any which one it was, they just throw it out there so it could be anybody. Well, you better say it fast.’
ITV had announced Piers’s deprture in a statement, reading: ‘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.’
Metro.co.uk has reached out to Piers Morgan’s reps for comment, ITV declined to comment further.
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MORE : Piers Morgan’s career from Britain’s Got Talent to Good Morning Britain as he quits ITV show
Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview: Key moments
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have spoken to Oprah Winfrey in a bombshell interview about their decision to step back as senior working members of the Royal Family.
Here are the key points from the interview, which UK viewers can watch at 9pm on ITV on Monday, March 8.
- Meghan says it was Kate who made her cry over flower girls, not other way round
- Meghan says Harry was told there were ‘concerns how dark’ Archie would be
- Harry and Meghan reveal the gender of their baby due in summer
- Meghan sobs as she says pressures of royal life drove her to the verge of suicide
- Prince Charles stopped taking Harry’s calls after he quit Royal Family
- Harry says Meghan saved him from being ‘trapped’ like Prince Charles and Prince William are
- Princess Diana would be ‘sad and angry about how this has panned out’
- Meghan and Harry share adorable new video of son Archie at the beach
- Harry confirms terrible rift with William and says their relationship is now just ‘space’
- Queen ‘ghosted Harry during Megxit talks and got aide to say she was too busy’