Piers Morgan: Who could replace the presenter on Good Morning Britain?
Alex Beresford and Jeremy Clarkson are rumoured to take the job
Piers Morgan has stepped down from his role as an anchor of Good Morning Britain after six years, following a major backlash to his recent comments on Meghan Markle.
The decision comes after Ofcom confirmed it was investigating comments Morgan made about the Duchess of Sussex following her tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey – including that he “didn’t believe a word” she said about having suicidal thoughts during her time as a senior royal.
“I’m sorry, I don’t believe a word she said... I wouldn’t believe it if she read me a weather report,” Morgan told viewers of Monday’s show, before later referring to Meghan as “Pinocchio Princess” on social media.
Piers Morgan updates – live: Ex-GMB presenter says he is ‘uncancellable’ as Meghan ‘lodges official complaint’
The regulator said it received more than 41,000 complaints about Morgan’s remarks, making it one of the most reported incidents on TV, only slightly behind the Shilpa Shetty race row on Big Brother in 2007 which attracted 44,500 complaints.
There is much speculation as to who will replace Morgan on GMB and join Susanna Reid as co-anchor.
Here is a list of the rumoured names, with some of the latest odds from Coral Bookmakers thrown in the mix…
Alex Beresford
GMB’s Beresford was praised by viewers for condemning Morgan’s Markle comments on the show, calling his co-star’s rants “incredibly hard to watch”.
The criticism prompted Morgan to storm off set, saying: “OK, I’m done with this.”
It is not the first time the pair have clashed on air, so it would be quite a twist – and a change of tone for the show – if Beresford ended up replacing Morgan.
Odds of him getting the job are currently 12-1.
Richard Madeley
Madeley has been popular with viewers for his “accidental Partridge” moments while doing stints as a GMB guest host.
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In 2019, for example, he was lampooned for awkwardly interviewing a naked anti-Brexit campaigner on the show.
Viewers were left cringing as Madeley attempted to describe the graffiti a nude Dr Victoria Bateman had drawn on her body that was blurred out for television.
The presenter’s odds to replace Morgan are 5-2.
Ben Shephard
Shephard has starred on GMB since it launched in 2014. While Morgan takes the first three days of the week, Shephard fills in alongside Reid on Thursdays and Kate Garraway on a Friday – making him a natural replacement for Morgan.
Eamonn Holmes
This Morning star Holmes is a big fan of Morgan and has hailed him as the "saviour" of morning telly.
"He came there and shook it up," said the presenter. "He was the right man in the right place at the right time. And so far, so good."
Holmes and his partner and co-presenter Ruth Langsford left their usual Friday slot hosting This Morning at the end of last year.
Rylan Clark-Neal
The X Factor singer turned presenter has been popular with viewers on This Morning over the years.
He is currently the host of the revived editions of Supermarket Sweep and Ready Steady Cook, so might have too much on his plate to take on a new presenting role.
Jeremy Clarkson
The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? star has become friendly with Morgan in recent years, after a long-standing feud that came to a head when Clarkson allegedly punched Morgan at the 2004 British Press Awards. He has odds of 4-1 to replace Morgan.
Ranvir Singh
On the first broadcast since Morgan’s departure from GMB, Reid sat next to co-star Ranvir Singh.
Although Singh was seated in Morgan’s regular seat, the presenting duo clarified that she was due to appear on the show regardless of Morgan’s departure and advised viewers not to read into the seating arrangement.
That said, bookies still think she is likely to replace Morgan, with odds of 4-5.
Jeremy Vine
Vine has previously praised Morgan for his criticism of the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.
According to bookies, the odds of Vine replacing Morgan are 6-1.
Kay Burley
The odds of Burley replacing Morgan are currently 12-1. In December, Burley stepped back from Sky News after breaking Covid-19 rules.
Burley said she will return and was looking forward to “being able to continue my 32-year career with Sky”.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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