Piers Morgan has publicly criticised his former Good Morning Britain co-presenter Susanna Reid, years after he stormed off the ITV show and refused to return. The outburst came during an episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored on July 14, where he interviewed Australian broadcaster Karl Stefanovic, who recently left the Today programme after a controversy over interviewing a far-right activist on his podcast.
Comparing Departures and Tributes
Morgan drew parallels between Stefanovic's departure and his own exit from GMB in 2021, which followed a heated on-air row with weather presenter Alex Beresford about Meghan Markle. He compared the tributes each received from their former colleagues, noting a stark difference in emotional tone.
“The one thing I did take my hat off to – you got the following tribute from your breakfast show colleagues the morning after. Then I’ll play you the slightly less emotional one that I got,” Morgan said on his show. He then played a clip of Stefanovic's colleagues praising him as a “mate” and saying “it goes without saying [he] will be missed.”
In contrast, Reid's tribute to Morgan the day after his abrupt departure was more measured. She stated: “Piers has decided to leave the programme. Some of you may cheer, and others will boo. He has been my presenting partner, Monday to Wednesday, for more than five years, and during Brexit and the pandemic and other issues, he has been a voice for many of you and a voice that many of you have railed against. It is certainly going to be very different, but shows go on, and so on we go.”
Morgan's Reaction and Clarification
Morgan expressed disappointment that Reid did not offer a more emotional farewell, especially since she later refused to hug him when they reunited on GMB cameras. “Where was the ‘love ya, mate’? Where were the tears, Susanna?” he said, as Stefanovic laughed and replied, “I’m so sorry mate.”
Despite his criticism, Morgan clarified that he and Reid remain close friends. “Susanna’s actually a great friend of mine, and we’ve stayed very close friends. We had quite an emotional chat a couple of days later. I really think she was in shock. People criticised her at the time for sounding a bit stilted – I think she was genuinely completely in shock about it. You become part of a family.”
He added that he still sees most of his former GMB colleagues, with one notable exception: “I see nearly all my old Good Morning Britain colleagues, I don’t see the weather guy very often, I actually would cross continents to avoid him. But the others I do see a lot of. You do become very close, actually.”
