Richard Madeley let slip a huge bombshell on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain – that former host Piers Morgan actually wanted to quit the show two months before his shock exit.
Piers made headlines when he legendarily stormed off-set in March, after a row with weather presenter Alex Beresford.
He insisted that he didn’t believe the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, about statements she made during her explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Since then, a host of new presenters have taken up the mantle, including Alastair Campbell, Adil Ray and, most recently, Richard Madeley.
On Thursday, Richard explained: “I was meant to come back in April and May because Piers was meant to be going to America.”
(Image: ITV)
“So I would have been sitting alongside you quite a lot then, but all that went west and here I am.”
It isn’t clear whether he was referencing 2021 or 2020, but a spokesperson for Piers Morgan confirmed to Express.co.uk that Richard had been booked as holiday cover for the controversial presenter.
Though Piers’ controversial exit garnered a record number of more than 57,000 complaints to TV watchdog Ofcom, ITV reportedly want him back on board.
(Image: PA)
Speaking to The Sun, Piers admitted there had been “approaches” from various people about returning, likely to combat the morning programme’s falling ratings.
With Piers at the helm, GMB managed to surpass its rival BBC Breakfast for the first time.
“I have no doubt I could take the ratings back to where I left them – but the doubt is, would anyone be allowed to do it that way again?” Piers quizzed.
(Image: ITV)
“I was hired to give very strong, honestly held opinions, which I did.”
Piers said he lost his job because he “refused to apologise” to the Duchess of Sussex – despite his prior claims that ITV had promised he didn’t need to offer an apology.
He wrote in his Mail on Sunday column: “ITV asked me to clarify what I meant on tomorrow’s show, which I’m happy to do as it’s been deliberately misconstrued to suggest I don’t think victims of mental illness should be believed.
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“I was told I don’t need to apologise.”
But in a handwritten letter posted to his social media, Piers appeared to contradict himself, writing: “Now I’ve lost my job at Good Morning Britain because I chose not to apologise for disbelieving Meghan Markle’s claims in her interview with Oprah Winfrey.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
