Ofcom ‘racist trope’ warning as Morgan mimics Chinese speech
ITV HAS been warned against relying on a “combative dynamic” between presenters, such as Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain, because it risks breaching the broadcasting code.
Ofcom issued the warning after there were more than 1,600 complaints after Morgan used a “racist trope” and mimicked the Chinese language during an episode of the breakfast TV show on January 21.
During a discussion about Peter Phillips, the Queen’s grandson and son of the Princess Royal, starring in a TV advert for Chinese state milk, Morgan mimicked the dialect and used the phrase “ching chang”.
He also referred to it as “yeng yeng dong dong yong ming ming milk... milk”.
When Reid told him: “Taking the mickey out of foreign languages is rather 1970,” Morgan replied:
“I’m sorry you can take the mickey out of it. It is ching chang chong milk, right?”
Reid replied: “You can’t.”
As his co-presenter continued to tell him it was inappropriate, Morgan insisted he was mimicking the wording of the advert, rather than the language.
He said: “I can’t speak Chinese.
I’m trying, I’m trying – I am trying to mimic the wording of that advertisement.”
He added: “Sorry, are people now going to be more annoyed at me trying to mimic the Chinese state milk ad than they are about a member of the Royal family flogging Chinese state milk?”
Reid replied: “Yes, Piers do you not realise the kind of woke times we’re living in?”
ITV later apologised, saying in a statement that “GMB is known for its lively and robust discussion of the news agenda”.
In its assessment and decision not to pursue a full investigation, Ofcom said that during a discussion of this nature, “it was legitimate for Piers Morgan to question Peter Phillips’s decision”.
It added: “As ITV has itself acknowledged, this phrase is recognised as a racist trope aimed specifically at people of Chinese heritage.”