PIERS Morgan awkwardly ignored Alex Beresford after their dramatic clash on Good Morning Britain today – with Susanna Reid forced to introduce the star instead. The presenters were joined by a selection of guests towards the end of today’s show to dissect their interview with Meghan Markle’s dad Thomas. Kicking off the segment, 55-year-old Piers […]
PIERS Morgan awkwardly ignored Alex Beresford after their dramatic clash on Good Morning Britain today – with Susanna Reid forced to introduce the star instead.
The presenters were joined by a selection of guests towards the end of today’s show to dissect their interview with Meghan Markle’s dad Thomas.
Kicking off the segment, 55-year-old Piers announced each of the guests taking part to viewers – but skipped 40-year-old Alex.
Noticing the exclusion, his co-host Susanna quickly added: “And Alex is here as well, of course.”
Alex smiled weakly, with Piers dismissing the blip by simply muttering: “Yeah” in agreement, before moving the conversation along.
Earlier in the show, there were shockwaves as Piers stormed off set after being confronted by Alex on his negative comments about Meghan Markle.
Alex criticised Piers‘ coverage of Meghan and Prince Harry’s bombshell Oprah interview on yesterday’s show, and was given his opportunity to speak about it today.
But Piers didn’t like what his co-star had to say, refusing to listen before snapping: “I’m not having this” and heading to the studio exit.
He was off-screen for almost 20 minutes, but later returned, slamming Alex for “launching a personal derogatory attack” on someone that he works with.
Fans at home couldn’t believe what they were seeing – with some accusing the host of being as sensitive as the “snowflakes” he regularly pokes fun at.
And surprisingly, Piers agreed with the sentiment – admitting that he is a “snowflake” but needed to “cool off” in a tweet shared after the show.
Alex and Piers were visibly frosty from the start of the show, with Alex tweeting yesterday about how disappointed he was in Piers’ reaction to Meghan and Harry’s claims.
After detailing his sympathy for Prince Harry, Alex said to Piers today: “I understand that you don’t like Meghan Markle, you’ve made it so clear a number of times on this programme.
“I understand you’ve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle, or had one and she cut you off… She’s entitled to cut you off if she wants to.
“Has she said anything about you since she cut you off? I don’t think she has, but yet you continue to trash her.”
Piers and Meghan famously went for a drink in June 2016, around the time that she started dating Prince Harry, but he claims he never heard from her again.
Alex’s remark clearly hit a nerve, with Piers dramatically standing up and saying: “Okay, I’m done with this.”
Making his way to the studio exit, he continued: “Sorry, see you later, I can’t do this.”
Exasperated Alex looked emotional as he responded: “Absolutely diabolical behaviour, I’m sorry but Piers spouts off on a regular basis and we all have to sit here and listen.
“From 6.30 to 7am yesterday, it was incredibly hard to watch. He has the ability to come in here and talk from a position that he doesn’t fully understand.”
It comes as…
As he trailed off, shocked Susanna Reid said that everybody needed a “break”, as the show cut to advertisements.
When the show returned, Charlotte Hawkins took over – welcoming viewers back as though nothing had happened while Alex, Susanna, and Piers remained off-screen.
They returned a little while later, when Piers fumed: “What we need to do is talk about it in a civilised manner, considering we work on the same show on the same team.”
Alex insisted that he “respected” his co-star as he said that he wasn’t accusing Piers of being racist.
He revealed that the reason he was so upset with comments made on the Oprah show were because he’d been asked a similar question about what his unborn child’s skin tone would be.
Alex said that a work colleague, not from Good Morning Britain, had asked “what shade of cocoa is he going to come out?”, adding: “When you’re mixed race, people say things to you that they wouldn’t say to a black person.”
He went on to urge Piers to be “aware of the power of his words”, adding: “I feel because of your previous relationship with Meghan Markle – “
But furious Piers cut him off as he tried to distinguish between the question about skin tone being asked as a “passing comment” or in a “derogatory way”.
Susanna desperately attempted to diffuse the two men, repeatedly asking for them to discuss this later.
Piers went on to point out that he had asked for Alex to be on the show today due to a “thoughtful text” he’d received from the star yesterday.
However, he took issue with Alex making things “personal” – which Alex strongly denied.
Oprah: You certainly must have had some conversations with Harry about it and have your own suspicions as to why they didn’t want to make Archie a prince. What are those thoughts, why do you think that is? Do you think it’s because of his race? I know that’s a loaded question.
Meghan: I can give you an honest answer. But in those months when I was pregnant, all around same time: we have in tandem the conversation of he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.
Oprah: What? Who, who is having that conversation with you? What?
Meghan: So, um,
Oprah: There is a conversation – hold up
Meghan: there are several conversations about it, with Harry
Oprah: there was a conversation with you about how dark your baby is going to be?
Meghan: Potentially, and what that would mean or look like
Oprah: And you’re not going to tell me who had the conversation?
Meghan: I think that would be very damaging to them.
Susanna also tried to explain to Piers that while he is viewing things more “factually”, Alex – and Meghan – speak from “experience” that those who aren’t mixed race or black can not relate to.
Yesterday, 40-year-old Alex took to his Twitter page to publicly slam Piers for the way he spoke about Meghan and Harry on the show.
Piers accused Meghan of LYING about suffering with her mental health and having suicidal thoughts, as he continued to lash out at her and Harry for “whining”.
He was widely criticised for the comments by viewers, who have since launched a petition to get him axed from the show.
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
Mental health charity Mind also released a statement slamming him for his dismissal of Meghan’s struggles.
Piers had fumed during the show that he is “sickened” by Meghan for slamming the Royal Family as “white supremacists”, calling the chat “a two-hour ‘trashathon’ of our Royal Family“.
Referencing her suicidal thoughts, he seethed: “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.”
