Torn Susanna?
‘Sickening’ allegations & her secret hope…
Sometimes, situations in life tear us right down the middle – and it seems Susanna Reid is between a rock and a hard place right now.
The Good Morning Britain presenter spoke out recently about how she’s feeling torn between Piers Morgan and her show bosses, after the controversy surrounding her former colleague.
The 50-year-old confessed to feeling ‘awkward’ following the furore, which has pitted her ‘good friend’ Piers against ITV management.
Mum-of-three Susanna has been missing her controversial sidekick since he stormed off set on 9 March, following a furious rant in the wake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Oprah interview.
At the time, Piers, 56, told a shocked Susanna what he thought of the show, saying, ‘I’m sickened by what I’ve just had to watch … a two-hour trash-athon of our Royal Family.’
The controversial journalist refused to believe claims made by Meghan, including that she had struggled with her mental health and had suicidal thoughts – and said so, calling it ‘the acting performance of her life’.
He later stormed off the GMB set while debating the issue with weather presenter Alex Beresford.
Following the outburst – which led to a record 57,000 complaints to TV watchdog Ofcom – Piers left his highprofile job after refusing to apologise to the Duchess, who also complained personally.
In a stony-faced declaration the following day, Susanna told viewers that she and Piers had ‘disagreed on many things’, including his remarks on the Duchess, and described him as an ‘outspoken, challenging, opinionated, disruptive broadcaster’.
But Ofcom recently cleared ITV of breaking rules, noting that broadcasters can air potentially offensive content.
The regulator said that although Piers’ ‘disregard for the seriousness of suicidal thoughts’ was concerning, the reaction of Susanna and fellow co-host Chris Ship gave viewers ‘adequate protection’.
‘I’m delighted Ofcom has endorsed my right to disbelieve the Duke & Duchess of Sussex’s incendiary claims to Oprah Winfrey, many of which have proven to be untrue,’ said Piers.
‘This is a resounding victory for free speech and a resounding defeat for Princess Pinocchio. Do I get my job back?’
Revealing on-air that she was stunned by the ruling, Susanna told Ben Shephard: ‘On the one hand, I’ve got my friend Piers Morgan, and on the other my bosses. So this is obviously a slightly awkward moment.’
It’s understandable why she’s feeling conflicted.
Certainly, GMB was very different when she and Piers were sparking off each other. Piers has hinted a return is unlikely, saying he has a ‘global’ project in the pipeline.
But who could blame Susanna if she wasn’t secretly hoping for the return of her old sparring partner…?
‘Obviously this is an awkward moment’