Guess it should’ve been called “Good Morgan Britain.”
UK talk show “Good Morning Britain” has seen ratings drop to record lows following the departure of controversial panelist Piers Morgan this past spring.
“I was hired to give very strong, honestly held opinions, which I did,” the 56-year-old personality told the Daily Mail of his role on the morning program, which recorded a measly 450,000 viewers on Tuesday. This marked a shocking decline from the record 1.9 million viewers who tuned in to watch Morgan and his fellow panelists react to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, just days before the talking head quit “GMB” on March 9.
That day, a whopping 1.29 million viewers saw Morgan leave the set after clashing with fellow panelist Alex Beresford over his repeated criticism of Meghan and Harry’s “Oprah” appearance.
Beresford had called TV presenter Morgan “diabolical” for his comments, in which he had infamously claimed he didn’t believe the Duchess of Sussex’s accounts of suicidal thoughts and racism suffered at the hands of the royal family.
The show proved to be the Fleet Street personality’s last as he formally announced his resignation shortly afterward.
Following his exit, Morgan doubled down on his scathing criticism of Markle, insisting that he was a victim of cancel culture.
“Those of you that know me well enough know that, despite my many faults, I’m always willing to stand my ground for the things that I think matter most,” he wrote in a lengthy social-media note at the time. “And now I’ve lost my job at Good Morning Britain because I chose not to apologise for disbelieving Meghan Markle’s claims in her interview with Oprah Winfrey.”
Needless to say, ratings began to plummet immediately in the wake of Morgan’s exodus from the show. The March 10 episode, the first following the presenter’s departure, recorded 1.24 million viewers — 50,000 fewer than had tuned into the journalist’s final appearance a day prior, the Daily Mail reported.
By week’s end, the number of viewers had plummeted to just 850,000, while the following Monday, the average viewers were down by 255,700 compared to the week before.
It wasn’t just the number of eyeballs that took a hit. ITV, parent firm “GMB,” saw its value drop by almost $300 million the night of Morgan’s resignation with share prices plunging by 3.8%.
To try and mitigate their losses, the network filled Morgan’s “GMB” slot with various substitute panelists as they searched for a permanent replacement.
The entertainment giant has reportedly invited the outspoken newsman back on the show, in an apparent attempt to resuscitate its flatlining ratings.
“‘I have had some quite random third-party feelers put out to see if I would consider a return to the show,” claimed Morgan, who is currently a columnist for the Daily Mail.
He added, “I have no doubt I could take the ratings back to where I left them — but the doubt is, would anyone be allowed to do it that way again?”