Piers Morgan Will Not Face Ofcom Investigation After Gender Remarks Sparked 950 Complaints

Piers Morgan will not face an Ofcom investigation over controversial comments he made about gender on Good Morning Britain, the TV watchdog has confirmed.

In September, the presenter sparked almost 1,000 complaints to the regulator after he said he identified "as a penguin”. 

Piers made the remark during an on-air debate in response to a BBC film that said there are more than 100 genders.

Referencing a story about a baby penguin at London Aquarium being raised gender neutral by a lesbian penguin couple, he said on the ITV breakfast show: “I’m going to say that now I am identifying as a penguin and I demand to be allowed into the penguin enclosure at the aquarium and live with the penguins.”

Ofcom subsequently assessed the 950 complaints made concerning “transgender discrimination / offence”, and have now ruled the show “did not raise issues warranting investigation” in a report published on Monday. 

In a statement, the regulator told HuffPost UK: “We carefully considered complaints from viewers who felt that the presenter’s comments ridiculed gender identity issues.

“While the presenter’s remarks offended some viewers, we took into account his later expression of support and respect for a transgender guest. The programme also featured a range of gender-related discussions, during which another presenter provided further context by arguing that people had the right to choose how they identify.

“However, we’ve reminded ITV that strong views on issues such as sex or gender reassignment should be presented with care.”

While Piers comments have been cleared, at the time they sparked a petition to have him removed from Good Morning Britain. 

Its creation sparked a rival petition to keep him on GMB “for his common sense approach to life”, which later overtook the original campaign. 

The show later launched a poll asking if the divisive presenter should be fired over his views on gender.

After almost half a million votes were cast, 60% voted for him to be sacked, prompting Piers to accuse “snowflake websites and Twitter handles” of “hijacking” the poll.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.