ITV boss ‘vigorously’ defended Piers Morgan to Ofcom in the wake of Meghan Markle comment storm
PIERS Morgan has fired back at his former boss at ITV – after she insisted she “vigorously” defended him during a probe into his views on Meghan Markle.
The TV firebrand faced an Ofcom investigation after telling Good Morning Viewers he didn’t believe the duchess – and labelling her “Princess Pinocchio”.
Now chief executive Carolyn McCall says ITV fought for Piers – despite the presenter blasting his old employers after he was cleared by Ofcom.
Piers’ comments sparked a record 50,000 complaints after he accused Meghan of lying during her bombshell chat with Oprah in March.
He later left the show when he was allegedly ordered to apologise to the royal.
However, despite the intervention of Meghan herself – who complained directly to his bosses – Piers was cleared by Ofcom earlier this month.
In their verdict, the watchdog warned: “The restriction of such views would, in our view, be an unwarranted and chilling restriction on freedom of expression both of the broadcaster and the audience.”
Speaking at the Royal Television Society Cambridge Convention, Dame Carolyn defended ITV’s response to the drama.
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“I will just say that we vigorously defended both the programme and Piers to Ofcom, and the reason we didn’t get pulled up by them is because of the programme making,” she said.
And she said there is “no way” ITV wouldn’t be “absolutely not just endorsing, but championing, freedom of speech and freedom of expression.”
But Piers has already hit out – posting on Twitter: “So why I did have to leave?”
Meanwhile, Dame Carolyn was asked whether he could return to his job – but said he’s resigned and stepped away from ITV.
But she told her audience Piers would be “working on some global platform any day soon”.
Today’s spat is just the latest salvo between the presenter and his old channel.
‘WHY DID I HAVE TO LEAVE?’
Following Ofcom’s verdict, ITV said Piers’ co-star Susanna Reid, as well as “programme makers”, had provided the “balance and context” that was “key in mitigating against the potential for harm and offence caused by Piers”.
But the 56-year-old said in a furious tweet: “Hmmm, ITV have just put out a statement saying I only won the Ofcom case against Princess Pinocchio because my colleagues expressed different opinions to mine.
“That’s not what the Ofcom report says in its conclusion. I suggest ITV reads it again.”
And he hit out again in a column for the Mail Online.
He wrote: “I was reliably informed recently that Meghan Markle wrote directly to my ITV boss, Dame Carolyn McCall, the night before I was forced out, demanding my head on a plate.
“Apparently, she stressed that she was writing to Dame Carolyn personally because they were both women and mothers, a nauseating playing of the gender and maternity card if ever there was one.
Meghan wrote to my boss the night before I was forced out demanding my head on a plate
Piers Morgan
“What has the world come to when a whiny, fork-tongued actress can dictate who presents a morning television news programme?”
In their judgement, Ofcom acknowledged the comments made by Piers were “potentially harmful and offensive”.
However, they ultimately ruled that GMB was not in breach the broadcasting code.
Meghan complained after Piers said he didn’t believe her claims to have had issues with her mental health, or that she was suicidal when pregnant with Archie.
In the Oprah interview, Meghan told how life as a royal became unbearable and she “didn’t want to be alive anymore”.
But speaking during a show broadcast the day after the chat aired, Piers ranted: “I don’t believe a word she says, Meghan Markle. I wouldn’t believe a weather report if she read it.
“The fact she has expressed an onslaught against our Royal Family is contemptible.”
It’s been a tempestuous week for Piers – even by his standards – after he became embroiled in a surreal row with Nicki Minaj.
Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest updates
The rapper mocked the presenter, Boris Johnson and Chris Whitty in a Twitter blast – before labelling Laura Kuenssberg a “dumbo” who “can’t read”.
The bizarre tirade began after the Chief Medical Officer called her spurious claims about the vaccine “ridiculous” and “strange”.
And it became even weirder when Piers got involved, calling Nicki “one of the rudest little madams I’ve ever met”.
She responded: “Sir, I’ve never met you. I know… we all look alike.”
But he fired back: “Madam, we met on America’s Got Talent when you appeared as a guest act – but you refused to say hello to my three young sons because you were ‘too busy’.
“Oh, and it’s ‘Piers’ – I know, we Brit names all sound alike.”
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