He may hail himself as the saviour of breakfast TV, but there is no denying some of the things that come out of ‘Good Morning Britain’ host Piers Morgan’s mouth are problematic.
From body image and mental health, to feminism and politics, Piers has an opinion on absolutely everything, and there doesn’t seem to be a week that goes by where he hasn’t made a new enemy or sparked controversy with a Twitter rant, newspaper column or ‘GMB’ interview.
Here are 11 times he’s made us want to bang our heads against a wall.
1. His refusal to accept non-binary individuals
Trying to explain the concept of being gender non-binary to Piers was never going to end well, something that Fox Fisher and Owl Stefania found out for themselves when they appeared on ‘GMB’ is discuss the topic.
After asking if the way they view identity meant he could identify as a black woman, Piers then took things even further by asking: “If I identify now as anything… can I be anything I want?
“Can I be an elephant? Can I literally say I’m now an elephant and do I get afforded elephant rights? Can I go to London Zoo and demand to be put in an elephant compound because I have decided I’m an elephant?”
Somehow, the pair managed to keep their cool and won praise from viewers for challenging Piers’ views.
2. His comments on mental health
Piers has been sceptical of various celebrities who have spoken out about their own personal mental health issues, particularly Lady Gaga and Will Young, who both revealed they have previously suffered with post-traumatic stress disorder.
But being the mental health professional he is, Piers claimed Will has never suffered with PTSD, and instead has, what he calls - WNTS (whiny needy twerp syndrome).
His comments saw him embroiled in a Twitter spat with mental health campaigner and former ‘Loose Women’ star Denise Welch, who he later blocked on Twitter.
3. His tirade against Emma Watson
Piers branded Emma Watson a “feminist fraud” when she posed for a photo-shoot in Vanity Fair, during which she was photographed in a more revealing way than usual.
Piers quickly pointed out she “hadn’t always had this attitude to feminism and boob-flashing”, referencing comments she made about feeling conflicted over Beyoncé’s music videos in 2014.
Luckily, many people were on hand to point out perhaps Emma had reassessed her opinions since then, while she also issued a dignified response on Twitter.
4. When J.K. Rowling got one over on him and he couldn’t concede defeat
Following a long-standing public feud, J.K. Rowling tried to trick Piers into retweeting his past praise of her, and it worked like a charm.
She tweeted out a positive piece, suggesting it was actually a Valentine’s Day message from a fan and appealing to find the author. Apparently not stopping to think whether it looked familiar, Piers retweeted it saying it was “priceless humblebrag BS”.
The problem was, the extract she tweeted was actually written by Piers in 2010, when he included the Harry Potter author in his ‘100 British Celebrities Who Really Matter’. He later attempted to claim he knew this, but precisely no one believed him.
5. When his big mouth lost him an A-list guest
Piers had a particularly controversial response to the Women’s March back in January 2017, when he announced he was going to organise a Men’s March to “protest the creeping global emasculation of my gender by rabid feminists”.
His comments later caused Ewan McGregor to pull out of a planned appearance on ‘Good Morning Britain’, and a predictable Twitter rant and Daily Mail column followed.
6. His praise for Donald Trump
Piers has been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, both during his election campaign and subsequent presidency, having become friends years earlier on the US version of ‘The Apprentice’.
After the President faced criticism for the figures he has appointed to his Cabinet, including a chief strategist who has been labelled a white nationalist and an Attorney General who was once judged too racist to be a federal judge, Piers defended him by saying: “I don’t think he’s the next Hitler. I don’t think he’s appointing a bunch of Nazis in his cabinet. I think he’s a pragmatic business guy who played very hardball to get the Republication nomination.”
7. His failure to understand Beyoncé’s new political stance
Piers faced a backlash when he wrote a column on Beyoncé’s visual album ‘Lemonade’, claiming he preferred the singer when she was “less inflammatory” and “agitating”, adding he felt she’d “played the race card” with her support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Former ‘Loose Women’ star Jamelia later schooled him over his comments in an impassioned HuffPost UK blog post.
8. His feud with Jeremy Clarkson
Despite sharing many similarities and similar-sized egos, Piers and Jeremy Clarkson are responsible for one of the longest-running and most yawn-inducing feuds in showbiz.
It can be traced back to 2000, when, as editor of The Mirror, Piers published snaps appearing to show Jeremy in an embrace with TV producer Elaine Bedell.
Piers once said of the row: “With the likes of Jeremy Clarkson it is pure war. There is not a single friendly bone in either of our bodies towards one another.”
9. His comments on body image
Piers has had a problem with Kim Kardashian for longer than we care to remember, but it was his gross remarks about her body that really got fans, after she was photographed with - shock horror! - cellulite.
When ‘GMB’ co-host Susanna Reid said it was something to be celebrated, he snarled: “Why would we celebrate it? We put up with it, tolerate it, but not accept it. Flaws should not be celebrated.”
10. His sexist and ageist comments about Madonna
“She is becoming increasingly grotesque and embarrassing,” Piers said of pop icon Madonna last year. “To watch a woman in her late-50s cavorting around in fishnet stockings, falling over, swearing, shouting and behaving like a… you can fill in the blank. I find it absolutely toe-curling.”
We find it equally toe curling seeing a man critique a woman in this way, but there you go.
11. His complete lack of self awareness
Piers once bemoaned people using social media as a forum to discuss politics without a single ounce of irony.
“I get annoyed when people start banging on about politics on Facebook. I’ve had to unfriend family members, because it’s like I can’t… I need some respite,” he whined on ‘Good Morning Britain’. “Can’t you just put a picture up of your kid having an ice cream or something?”
Being only too familiar with his Twitter rants, Piers’ co-presenter Susanna sighed: “I know exactly what you mean. When someone just keeps going on and on and on… and you just need respite.
“And you just wish you could defriend them... but you’re just forced everyday to listen to their views. I know exactly how you feel.”
Well played, Susanna. Well played.
