PIERS Morgan has been spoken to by ITV boss Kevin Lygo after saying he didn’t believe Meghan Markle was suicidal.
In her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan told how life as a royal became unbearable and she “didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest news...
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, just hours after the interview aired in the US, Piers said “I don’t believe a word she says.”
Now ITV chief executive Carolyn McCall has revealed her views are the complete opposite of Piers, and the GMB host has been in constant communication with channel chief Lygo.
Speaking today, she said: “I completely believe what she [Meghan] said, that the most important thing with mental health that ITV does and is totally committed to, is that we support, we get people to speak up, we listen, we say everyone has to listen and everyone has to believe because that’s how you get people to speak up. So we are very committed to that.
“We work with Mind and we work with CALM and we work with the whole range of health charities, and we will continue to do so.
“I haven’t spoken to Piers myself, but I know Kevin Lygo is speaking to him on a regular basis and has done so the last couple of days.”
Mental health charity Mind has been highly critical of Piers’s comments and in a statement said it was speaking to ITV about the matter.
It read: “We were disappointed and concerned to see Piers Morgan’s comments on not believing Meghan’s experiences about suicidal thoughts today.
“It’s vital that when people reach out for support or share their experiences of ill mental health that they are treated with dignity, respect and empathy.
“We are in conversations with ITV about this at the moment.”
On today’s GMB Piers took a moment to clarify his views on mental health after the backlash.
He said: “On mental illness and suicide, these are clearly very serious things which should be taken extremely seriously, and if someone is feeling that way they should get the treatment and the help they need every time.
“And if they belong to an institution like the royal family, they should absolutely be given it. It’s not for me to question whether she felt suicidal, I wasn’t in her mind and that’s for her to say.
“My real concern was a disbelief, frankly, and I’m prepared to be proven wrong on this and if I am it’s a scandal, she went to a senior member of the royal household, told them she was suicidal and was told she could not have any help because it would be a bad look for the family.
“If that is true, that person should be fired, if they’re still there, and the royal family have serious questions to answer about how they handled it.”
Meghan and Harry’s tell-all chat with Oprah saw the former actress reveal she’d struggled with her mental health and at one point felt suicidal.
The Duchess of Sussex, 39, said she begged for help but was told she would not be able to seek help as it “wouldn’t be good for the institution.”
Breaking down in tears, she said: “I just didn’t see a solution.
“I didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
But Piers, 55, had no sympathy for the pregnant royal and ranted on the ITV breakfast show: “Who did you go to? What did they say to you?
“I don’t believe a word she says, Meghan Markle. I wouldn’t believe a weather report if she read it.
Interrupting his flow, his co-host Susanna Reid spoke up and said: “That’s a pathetic reaction to someone who has expressed those thoughts.”
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:
This morning Piers stormed out of the GMB studio after his colleague Alex Beresford’s monologue criticising him for continually attacking Meghan.
Alex said he found it “hard to watch” a half hour segment of yesterday’s show in which Piers savaged the interview.
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.
