Two episodes of Good Morning Britain in which Piers Morgan made comments about the Duchess of Sussex’s interview with Oprah Winfrey that led to him quitting the show have attracted the most complaints to the TV regulator in its history.
Ofcom said the episodes of the ITV programme that aired on 8 and 9 March had sparked 57,121 complaints, surpassing the previous record of 44,500 set in respect of Shilpa Shetty’s 2007 appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.
Over the course of the two episodes, Morgan dismissed the Duchess of Sussex’s account of her struggles with mental health and other issues, then stormed off the set when criticised by another presenter.
After hearing Meghan discuss her personal experience of mental health issues and suicidal thoughts, as well as royal officials’ knowledge of them, Morgan said: “I’m sorry, I don’t believe a word she says. I wouldn’t believe her if she read me a weather report.”
He claimed later that he was dismissing Meghan’s suggestion she had been discouraged from seeking help with her mental health issues, rather than the suggestion she had been suffering them.
He accused Meghan of sparking an “onslaught” against the monarchy.
The mental health charity Mind said it was “disappointed and concerned”, adding: “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.”
Morgan’s final episode of the show saw him storm off…
