Longtime journalist Piers Morgan is leaving ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” following an uproar over his critical remarks about Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
“Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain,” ITV said in a statement Tuesday. “ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add.”
Morgan drew more than 40,000 complaints after saying he didn’t “believe a word” of Markle’s claims of Royal Family racism and bullying in an interview Sunday alongside husband Prince Harry. That prompted an investigation of Morgan by the United Kingdom’s “Ofcom,” or Office of Communications, under its “harm and offense rules.”
In the bombshell conversation with Oprah Winfrey, Markle also said she felt suicidal and regretted believing the Royal Family’s claim it would “protect” her after marrying Prince Harry in 2018. After the birth of their son Archie in 2019, they quit their royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States.
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When Morgan said he didn’t buy Markle’s story, his co-presenter Susanna Reid expressed shock at him for being “unsympathetic.”
As the discussion of Markle’s mental health struggles continued on “Good Morning Britain” on Tuesday, Morgan stormed off the set on what turned out to be his final day on the program.
He eventually returned to the set and told co-host Alex Beresford, who had criticized Morgan’s treatment of Markle, said that they should approach these topics in a “civilized manner.”
Morgan, a longtime critic of Markle, denounced her in particular for accusing an anonymous Royal of racist discussions about her son.
Morgan continued to criticize Markle in a Fox News interview on Monday, saying she and Prince Harry were playing victims.
“It’s all about Meghan and Harry,” Morgan said. “It’s all about their mental health, how they’re feeling, how they’re being treated. They want the world, in the middle of a pandemic that’s killed two-and-a-half million people, to view them as the biggest victims yet.”
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Morgan is known to American audiences for his CNN primetime show from 2011 to 2014, as well as his appearances on “Celebrity Apprentice” and judging work on “America’s Got Talent.”
Buckingham Palace issued a statement Tuesday regarding the explosive interview that has generated global headlines.
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” said a statement from the Palace provided to Fox News on Tuesday. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”
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“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members,” the statement concluded.
Fox News’ Edmund DeMarche and Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.
