Piers Morgan has claimed Meghan Markle ‘put huge pressure’ on ITV bosses following his explosive row with weatherman Alex Beresford.
The ex- GMB presenter, 56, thrust himself into the spotlight last month when he dismissed Meghan’s admission that she was suicidal and her son Archie was denied a title due to his skin colour.
Piers said live on air that he didn’t believe Meghan – and later dubbed her a “delusional duchess” in his tell-all Tucker Carlson interview.
His public row with Alex and subsequent storm off resulted in more than 57,000 Ofcom complaints, including one from the Duchess of Sussex herself.
Piers told Billy Bush in an Extra interview this week: “It was certainly a very interesting revelation from where I sit, because clearly she was trying to put huge pressure on my bosses to take action against me.”
(Image: PA)
But Piers alleged ITV demanded no apology from him, and later quit the show of his own accord.
And he also said he’d had “some messages communicated” on behalf of certain members of the Royal Family in response to his outspoken attitude.
“I’m not going to go into who it was,” Piers continued, “but gratitude that somebody was standing up.”
The broadcaster also accused meteorologist Alex of a “premeditated attack” against him on the morning programme, when he referenced the “covert and overt” racism he himself had been the target of.
(Image: Fox)
Piers snarkily dubbed Alex “the stand-in weather guy” during his Tucker Carlson interview, and added that he’s “helped with his career a number of times when he’s asked”.
Piers also faced backlash from his former co-host Susanna Reid, who he said offered only a “frosty” goodbye.
He admitted he was “disappointed” with how she’d handled his GMB exit.
At the time, Susanna, 50, told Piers starkly: “Anyone who says they were left feeling suicidal and didn’t want to be alive anymore, you have to feel sympathy for them.”
(Image: ITV)
After Piers’ GMB exit, Susanna shed some light on her time co-hosting with the controversial figure.
“Piers and I have disagreed on many things and that dynamic was one of the things viewers loved about the programme.
“He is without doubt an outspoken, challenging, opinionated, disruptive broadcaster.”
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She summed up by saying: “It is certainly going to be very different but shows go on and so on we go.”
But Piers wasn’t happy with Susanna’s snub, writing in his Mail on Sunday column that his ex-wife “talks more fondly about me than that” in reaction to the “stony-faced” statement.
GMB airs on weekdays at 6am on ITV.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
