END OF THE PIERS SHOW
»»Morning TV host storms out of studio during Meghan abuse row MOTORMOUTH Piers Morgan quit his morning TV show just hours after storming off in a strop live on air. »»41,000 complain to watchdog over his Markle ‘lies’ outburst
He left Good Morning Britain in the wake of 41,000 complaints after he accused Meghan Markle of lying in her Oprah interview.
Morgan flounced off the show during a bust-up with colleague Alex Beresford over his cruel “I don’t believe her” outburst.
THE Queen last night told of her sadness over claims of royal racism made by Harry and Meghan in their Oprah chat.
She vowed to investigate but challenged their version of events. Despite the shock allegations, she said: “Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much-loved family members.”
She promised to probe the accusations, but also challenged their version of the events that stunned the world, claiming the pair may have remembered some aspects differently.
In a heartfelt statement issued at 5.26pm, the Queen told how she would always love her grandson and his family, despite the accusations they poured out during their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
And she insisted the Palace would investigate claims that a senior royal made comments about how “dark” their unborn son Archie would be.
The statement said: “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.
“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
There was widespread outrage after Meghan claimed to US chat show queen Oprah the Royal Family ignored her desperate cries for medical help, as she contemplated suicide when five months pregnant.
Millions of TV viewers and many more who read about the interview waited for a response from the Palace over the crisis that threatened to engulf the monarchy in its worst crisis since Edward VIII abdicated in 1936.
Royal sources insisted the family wanted to take its time to respond in light of the seriousness of the couple’s claims during the chat, which was aired in the US on Sunday and the following night on ITV in Britain.
One said last night: “At the heart of all of this there is a family. They should be given the opportunity to discuss the issues raised privately, as a family. It has been important for us to carefully consider any response before issuing; and of course releasing something today meant viewers in the UK had the opportunity to watch the interview, if they wished to, first. “Diversity, equality, inclusion and mental health are important issues and highlighting that has formed part of the work of members of the Royal Family for many years.” Insiders told how there was “shock and disbelief” over the claims of racism at the heart of the Palace. And royal biographer Andrew Morton told how the fallout from the interview will “shudder down through the generations in the same way that
Diana’s did”. During her Panorama interview in 1995, Harry’s mother called royal officials “the enemy” and questioned Charles’s suitability to be king.
Royal author Penny Junor called the Queen’s response to the allegations “dignified”.
She said: “It is leaving Harry and Meghan some dignity and it’s expressing that they will always be much-loved members of the family.
“It says that they are saddened to learn how challenging those years were for Meghan and Harry.
“They are saying, ‘We didn’t appreciate quite how tough it was for you. You’ve raised an issue of race, which is worrying to us, and while some recollections may vary, we hear what you’re saying and will look closely and address any failings we find’. So they are saying, we don’t buy everything you’ve accused us of. I think the route, as far as I was concerned, was to reply in sorrow rather than anger, which is what they’ve done.”
Junor claimed it was unlikely the Palace would comment further in the immediate future on the matter. She said: “It’s a very skilful statement.
“There’s no way that they could have countered any of the accusations they felt were unjust because to counter one would have meant they would have had to counter all of them, and that would have become undoable.
“I think they’ve expressed this absolutely to perfection. “I think less is more in this situation.” Meghan’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, yesterday waded into the race row, backing the Queen. He said: “I
don’t think the British royal family are racist at all.” While he insisted claims of racist comments should be investigated, he added: “It could be somebody asked a stupid question, rather than being a racist.”
There has been a guessing game across the globe over who the “royal racist” could be after Oprah revealed on US breakfast TV Harry later told her it was “not his grandmother or his grandfather”.
In further unseen footage of the interview, Meghan yesterday insisted that despite signing up to the chat she wanted a “basic right to privacy”.
It had been watched by more than 17million people in America and 12million here.
The Duchess said: “If you’re at work and you have a photo of your child on your desk and your co-worker says, ‘Oh, my gosh, your kid’s so cute.
“Can I see your phone so I can see all the pictures of your child?’ You go, ‘No, this is the picture I’m comfortable sharing with you.’ And then if they double down and say, ‘No, but you already showed me that one.
“So you have to show me everything. That’s sort of the flawed argument and operating mechanism they’re confusing people to think.
“I think life is about being able to share our stories, share parts of our lives that you’re comfortable with.”
Royal insiders rejected Harry’s claim that he had been “cut off ” by his father, insisting Charles feels “let down” by his son’s comments.
A source said: “The Prince of Wales went out of his way to make sure his son and daughter-in-law were financially supported.”
PIERS Morgan last night quit as host of Good Morning Britain after his accusation that Meghan lied about feeling suicidal triggered 41,000 complaints to Ofcom and a bust-up on air.
I understand you’ve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle, or had one... ALEX BERESFORD GMB WEATHERMAN TO PIERS MORGAN
Morgan stormed off the set after weatherman Alex Beresford challenged him about comments he made on Monday about a clip of Meghan discussing her suicidal thoughts.
Morgan had declared: “I’m sorry, I don’t believe a word she says.
“I wouldn’t believe her if she read me a weather report.”
Beresford said yesterday: “I understand you’ve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle, or had one, and she cut you off. She’s entitled to cut you off if she wants to. Has she said anything about you since she cut you off ? I don’t think she has, but yet you continue to trash her.”
Morgan, 55, then stormed out of the studio, saying: “OK, I’m done with this, sorry, no, can’t do this.” Beresford branded his behaviour “pathetic” and “diabolical”.
Co-host Susanna Reid was left with little choice but to go to an ad break.
Announcing his departure last night, ITV made it clear they were happy to accept his resignation.
A statement said: “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.”
Ofcom announced yesterday that it was investigating after it received more than 41,000 complaints from viewers upset that Morgan was not taking mental health seriously. Announcing ITV’s annual results yesterday, chief executive Carolyn McCall said ITV was “totally committed” to mental health issues, working with charities such as Mind and Calm. She said of Meghan’s comments about feeling suicidal: “I completely believe what she said. It’s important everyone does.” Morgan’s comments were criticised by mental health charity Mind, which said: “It’s vital that, when people reach out for support or share their experiences of ill mental health, they are treated with dignity, respect and empathy.” Yesterday morning, Morgan tried to play down what he had said, telling viewers: “Let me just state on the record my position about mental illness and on suicide. These are clearly extremely serious things that should be taken extremely seriously.” But the damage was already done. Morgan, has previously told how he thought that he and Meghan, 39, were “friends” when she was on US drama Suits. Having exchanged messages from 2015, they met for drinks in 2016, but then she stopped talking to him. “I was indeed labouring under the massive misapprehension we were friends. I was wrong,” Piers wrote in a newspaper column two years later.
This week he branded her interview with Oprah Winfrey as “vile, destructive, self-serving nonsense”.
Celebrity pals appeared to give him their support. Sharon Osbourne posted: “I stand by you.” Gary Lineker implied Morgan had jumped before being pushed, posting: “It’s always sad when someone loses their job.”
Morgan’s BBC rival Dan Walker, tweeted: “If you’d like to come on the UK’s number 1 breakfast show to talk about it... we could make some space.”
Morgan may already have his next TV job lined up, possibly with Andrew Neil’s GB News channel. Lord Alan Sugar posted: “Piers Morgan pushed his luck. I think he might have something else lined up, watch this space.”
The Sussex’s interview drew more than 12 million viewers to ITV on Monday. The Ofcom complaints are the highest for 14 years, when 45,000 people complained over the Jade Goody Big Brother racism row.
THE Oprah interview was broadcast around the world, including in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil and much of Europe.
Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said it bolstered his argument for Australia severing its constitutional ties to the British monarchy.
He said its head of state should be an Australian, not the king or queen of the UK, adding: “It’s clearly an unhappy family.
“Frankly, in Australia, there are more Elizabethans than monarchists. After the Queen’s reign, that is the time for us to say – OK, we’ve passed that watershed.”
An analysis on Australia’s ABC news said that while the Royal Family had suffered setbacks before, the allegations levelled by Harry and Meghan “run deeper”.
It said of the racism claim: “It’s an allegation that may not shock but it will stick. For many it will hurt.”
New Zealand’s PM Jacinda Ardern said she had “not sensed an appetite for significant change” to the country’s constitutional arrangements.
In the US, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it took “courage” for the couple to talk about their personal struggles, adding: ”That’s certainly something the president believes.”
New York Times critic Salamishah Tillet said the interview shows Harry is becoming “emboldened to take on the British monarchy into which he was born and the white privilege that holds it up and has benefited him”.
Asma Sultan, a journalist in Karachi, Pakistan, said the interview “is going to tarnish the image of the Royal Family”.