Piers Morgan Breaks Silence After Quitting U.K. Morning Show, Stands By Meghan Markle Comments

Piers Morgan has broken his silence after a dramatic Tuesday that saw him storming off Good Morning Britain after being rebuked live on air by a colleague and then quitting the U.K. morning show following a wave of criticism over his continued attacks against Meghan Markle.

In his first full statement directly referencing his GMB exit, Morgan tweeted, “On Monday, I said I didn’t believe Meghan Markle in her Oprah interview. I’ve had time to reflect on this opinion, and I still don’t. If you did, OK. Freedom of speech is a hill I’m happy to die on.”

He added: “Thanks for all the love, and hate. I’m off to spend more time with my opinions.”

The tweet included a picture of  Winston Churchill and a quote about free speech attributed to the former British prime minister.

Sky News reported comments Morgan made to the press outside his home on Wednesday morning, where he again doubled down on his feelings towards Markle.  “I don’t believe almost anything that comes out of her mouth and I think the damage she’s done to the British monarchy and to the Queen at a time when Prince Philip is lying in hospital is enormous and frankly contemptible,” he said.

Continued Morgan: “If I have to fall on my sword for expressing an honestly-held opinion about Meghan Markle and that diatribe of bilge that she came out within that interview, so be it. I think it’s fair to say, although the woke crowd will think that they’ve canceled me, I think they will be rather disappointed when I re-emerge.”

Morgan has had a long-running, and seemingly one-sided, feud with Markle which was given renewed venom after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday.

On Monday’s episode of ITV’s GMB, Morgan went on a one-man tirade against the couple, focusing much of his vitriol on Markle, calling her a liar and belittling her claims about her own mental health, disputing her story about feeling suicidal and turning to the palace for support, only to be turned down.

“Who did you go to? What did they say to you? I’m sorry, I don’t believe a word she said, Meghan Markle,” he said. “I wouldn’t believe it if she read me a weather report.”

Morgan’s attacks on Markle led to over 40,000 viewer complaints to the U.K.’s media regulator Ofcom and also condemnations from mental health charities. Undeterred, he continued the tirade on Tuesday’s episode before he was rebuked by colleague Alex Beresford who called out his comments and brought up Morgan’s rejection by Markle years previously, leading to the America’s Got Talent alum storming off set momentarily.

Later on Tuesday, ITV’s CEO Carolyn McCall revealed that network execs had spoken to Morgan about his Markle comments and that evening it was revealed that he had offered his resignation and it was accepted.

Morgan, who still has his seven-figure salaried job writing columns for the Daily Mail, should not be short of offers for his next television job according to U.K. media reports. He has been linked with Rupert Murdoch’s News UK as well as the Fox News-like startup GB News.

On Monday, I said I didn’t believe Meghan Markle in her Oprah interview. I’ve had time to reflect on this opinion, and I still don’t. If you did, OK. Freedom of speech is a hill I’m happy to die on. Thanks for all the love, and hate. I’m off to spend more time with my opinions. pic.twitter.com/bv6zpz4Roe

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 10, 2021