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Piers Morgan was left unimpressed when daytime rival Dan Walker attempted to backtrack following a shady tweet about the Good Morning Britain host’s interviewing style.
The two presenters have had a long-standing – but mostly amicable – feud in the media for the last few years, which has mostly revolved around the ratings of GMB and BBC Breakfast.
However, things kicked up a notch on Monday morning, when Dan appeared to take a shot at Piers’ approach to interviewing government ministers about the coronavirus crisis.
“Thanks for all your kind comments about our #BBCBreakfast interviews this morning,” he wrote, adding: “It is possible to challenge politicians & and ask difficult questions without shouting, interrupting [and] telling everyone you’re brilliant at holding them to account.”
Picking up on the shade, it didn’t take long for Piers to respond, insisting: “The reason they all go on your show Dan is because you’re known as the softest touch in world [of] political interviewing.
“Or as the Guardian called you recently ‘LaLa from the Teletubbies... most at home asking unthreatening lifestyle questions’.”
The following morning, though, it seemed the BBC Breakfast host had undergone something of a change of heart.
Quote-tweeting his initial post, he wrote: “Just reading this back and I think it sounds a bit self-congratulatory... which was never my intention.
“We are all trying to do a good job. Have a good one.”
Piers wasn’t having it, though, quickly responding: “Oh please, that was exactly your intention. Own your ludicrousness Mr Walker, this is embarrassing.”
That same morning, Piers had been irked by the news that health secretary Matt Hancock had declined to be interviewed on GMB, but appeared on rival shows BBC Breakfast and This Morning.
“He’s chosen an easy ride over tough questioning,” Piers fumed on Twitter. “Very unlike Mr Hancock who normally has the balls to defend his decisions. He’s obviously now lost them.”
Last week, Piers hit out at Boris Johnson over an apparent ban on government ministers being interviewed on Good Morning Britain.
This came after both he and Susanna Reid have received a wave of praise for their interviews with ministers about coronavirus and the UK lockdown.
Addressing the official Twitter accounts for Boris Johnson and 10 Downing Street, he continued: “This is a pathetic & cowardly response to THEIR shameful incompetence.”
HuffPost UK contacted 10 Downing Street for comment last week, but did not receive a response.