Piers Morgan updates – live: Alex Beresford speaks out after GMB presenter steps down

Morgan stepped down from the ITV daytime show after six years

Piers Morgan's most controversial moments on Good Morning Britain

It’s been a hectic 24 hours, with Piers Morgan quitting ITV’s Good Morning Britain shortly after he stormed off the set amid a clash over Meghan Markle.

On Tuesday evening (9 March), ITV announced that Morgan was stepping down as anchor of the morning show after six years.

The presenter’s departure came after both he and ITV attracted widespread criticism over comments he 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.

GMB’s Alex Beresford, with whom Morgan had a heated debate with during Tuesday’s show (9 March) prior to the announcement of his exit that evening, has said that “Piers’ departure sincerely wasn’t the conclusion I was hoping for”.

The weatherman added: “I didn’t want him to quit, but I did want him to listen.”

Morgan’s exit has prompted a mixed reaction from viewers with many people celebrating the presenter’s departure. However, an online petition urging ITV to reinstate Morgan in his position as co-anchor of GMB has reached over 22,000 signatures in just two days.

Sharon Osbourne has also spoken out in support of Morgan. During an appearance onThis Show yesterday (10 March), the former X-Factor judge tearfully defended the controversial presenter.

Others celebrities, however, have welcomed the news. Chelsea Handler recently shared a clip from a 2014 interview with Morgan, in which the pair engage in a heated conversation. The American comedian captioned it: “Some a**holes get better, some just stay the same.”

Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom received more than 41,000 complaints after Morgan claimed he did not believe that Markle had suffered from suicidal thoughts after being overwhelmed by press scrutiny into her personal life. ITV was also widely criticised for “allowing” Morgan to air these views while running their Britain Get Talking mental health campaign.

Following the backlash, Morgan later said he wanted to “clarify his position on mental health”. He added that his “disbelief” was over her claims 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”.

Yesterday morning (10 March), GMB returned to screens without Morgan in his usual seat for the first time. Speaking about his decision, the 55-year-old revealed he is “in talks” regarding his presenting future, adding: “I’ll be back”.

You can relive all of the dramatic moments from the last 24 hours below, as well as some of the major talking points so far.

• Susanna Reid addresses Piers Morgan’s exit for the first time live on GMB
• ‘Your tears are weapons’: Sharon Osbourne criticised for tearful defence of Piers Morgan on The Talk
• Chelsea Handler calls out Piers Morgan in resurfaced video: ‘Some a**holes stay the same’
• ITV lost £300m in market value after Piers Morgan’s departure from GMB

Key Points

• Piers Morgan reportedly ‘in talks with people’ regarding his future, tells Meghan Markle to ‘stop trashing the royal family'
• ITV has lost more than £300m in market value following Morgan’s exit
• Markle’s close friend says there are ‘many texts and emails to support’ Markle’s statements about her mental health
• Resurfaced video sees Morgan claim he was ‘ghosted’ by Markle
• Petition to ‘bring back Piers Morgan’ reaches over 22,000 signatures in two days
• Alex Beresford says ‘Piers’ departure sincerely was not the conclusion I was hoping for'

[11 March 2021 15:45 · Annabel Nugent]

Morgan has thanked Tucker Carlson for his support.

The American television host and Conservative political commentator defended the presenter during a segment on Fox News, calling him an “inspiration”.

“Piers Morgan left his job on a British morning show after failing to be impressed by that whiny Duchess from LA complaining about how hard her life is,” he said.

“Piers Morgan knew what the script was supposed to be – ‘Oh you poor oppressed Duchess’ – but he refused to read it so now he’s unemployed.”

Carlson added: “He refused to let the mob let him lie and that is an inspiration to all of us. Piers Morgan just reminded the world that some things are more important than having a job like your dignity and self-respect.”

[11 March 2021 16:05 · Annabel Nugent]

Fans have voiced their praise of Alex Beresford after the GMB presenter spoke out about Morgan’s exit.

The weatherman said: “Piers’ departure sincerely wasn’t the conclusion I was hoping for”, adding: “I didn’t want him to quit, but I did want him to listen.”

His post, which has been liked over 12,000 times in less than 30 minutes, has been received positively by his followers.

“You did nothing wrong Alex. You said what any person with an ounce of humanity and empathy would have said,” wrote one user.

Another added: “This [response] is both mature and generous. Bravo.”

[11 March 2021 16:25 · Annabel Nugent]

CNN’s Jake Tapper was rebuked on Twitter after claiming Ofcom’s investigation into Morgan’s comments is “insanity”.

“This is what happens when you live in a country where there is no First amendment. Insanity,” Tapper wrote on Twitter. “Governments should have no role in policing news broadcasts.”

People on social media were quick to point out that the broadcaster’s understanding of Ofcom was off the mark given that the regulator is technically separate from the government, and Britons have free speech rights.

[11 March 2021 16:40 · Annabel Nugent]

As Morgan steps away from GMB, speculation has arisen over who could replace him as co-anchor of the popular breakfast show.

Alex Beresford and Jeremy Clarkson are rumoured to be in the mix of potential candidates.

[11 March 2021 16:55 · Annabel Nugent]

Morgan is no stranger to making headlines. Over his six years at GMB, the 55-year-old has been responsible for some of the show’s most talked about instalments.

Here is a compilation of the presenter’s most controversial on-air moments...

[11 March 2021 17:15 · Annabel Nugent]

Steve Coogan has condemned Morgan, calling him “symptomatic of the problem” with the British tabloid media.

Appearing on ITV’s Peston programme, the Alan Partridge actor – who has also been a vocal press reform campaigner – labelled Morgan’s conduct “bullying behaviour”.

The 55-year-old also called out the media at large, stating that the tabloid press attacked Prince Harry and Markle because they broke the “golden rule” of not taking on the media.

“The fact that Meghan Markle and Harry were attacked has nothing to do with jet-setting hypocrisy,” he said. “It’s because they broke the golden rule, which is to leave us alone and we’ll go easy on you next time.”

[11 March 2021 17:48 · Adam White]

If you’re curious what the stars of Gogglebox make of the week in Piers Morgan, you’re in luck!

Journalist Scott Bryan is reporting that Friday night’s episode will feature the cast watching Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, as well as Morgan’s dramatic exit from Good Morning Britain.

[11 March 2021 19:05 · Alastair Jamieson]

The one intervention the Piers Morgan saga did not need was an inflammatory tweet by Lord Sugar.

And so, right on cue, comes an all-caps interjection from chairman Alan in a nod to his role as sacker-in-chief on The Apprentice.

“YOU WERE FIRED ,” the peer tells Piers, who made it very clear on Wednesday that he left ITV amicably.

Place your bets on how long this tweet will remain undeleted...