Broadcaster Piers Morgan is leaving a top British morning news program after an explosive confrontation with a co-host on the air about the controversy surrounding allegations of racism leveled at Buckingham Palace by Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
An emailed statement from the network confirmed Morgan’s departure Tuesday afternoon.
“Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain,” the network said. “ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add.”
His resignation comes just hours after Morgan stormed off the set after being confronted by his co-host and weather presenter Alex Beresford over his vitriolic comments directed at Meghan and Harry in the days since the couple sat down for a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey that has caused a storm of controversy at the palace.
During the broadcast Tuesday, Beresford said that Morgan’s comments on the previous day’s broadcast were “hard to watch” and lambasted him on the air as “pathetic” after he left the set.
“I understand that you don’t like Meghan Markle. You’ve made it so clear a number of times on this program, a number of times, and I understand that you’ve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle, or you had one, and she cut you off,” Beresford said. “She’s entitled to cut you off if she wants to.”
A day earlier, Morgan said that he did not believe Meghan’s account of racist treatment by members of the palace, including discussions about what color her child’s skin would be.
“Who did you go to? What did they say to you? I’m sorry, I don’t believe a word she said, Meghan Markle. I wouldn’t believe it if she read me a weather report,” Morgan said Monday.
He was also involved in a confrontational interview with Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a women’s rights activist who accused Morgan of being racist and sexist on the air.