Alex Beresford, weatherman for ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” and co-host to Pier Morgan before left the show, said in a statement released on Thursday that Morgan’s departure was not the “conclusion I was hoping for.”
Beresford on Tuesday critiqued Morgan’s comments, in which Morgan said he did not believe an interview between Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Oprah Winfrey. After the tense exchange, Morgan walked off set. Beresford said Morgan’s statements were “diabolical.”
ITV announced Morgan’s departure later on Tuesday, saying in a statement, “Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain.”
“There is so much that could be said. Piers’ departure sincerely wasn’t the conclusion I was hoping for,” Beresford wrote in a post on Twitter on Thursday.
“Over the last few years, Piers and I have had a lively, cheeky on-air relationship. We both wanted to be on the show Tuesday morning, and from our very public conversations on Twitter, we both knew how strongly our opinions differed on the treatment of Harry and Meghan pre and post the interview that has split the world,” Beresford added.
The ITV host lamented that he and Morgan were unable to “reach a palace of understanding,” but defended his actions in challenging Morgan’s opinion.
“I didn’t want him to quit, but I did want him to listen,” Beresford added. “Personally, Piers has always supported my growth. He’s given me advice on several occasions and for that I am grateful. I wish him well!”
British media regulator Ofcom announced on Tuesday that it had opened an investigation into Morgan’s remarks after receiving tens of thousands of complaints from viewers. Morgan had said he did not believe Meghan’s accounts of racism and questioned her mental health struggles.
He later backtracked on his skepticism of Meghan’s mental health, saying, “It’s not for me to question if she felt suicidal, I am not in her mind and that is for her to say.”
Since leaving “Good Morning Britain,” Morgan has stood by his opinion of Meghan and Prince Harry’s interview, writing on Twitter, “On Monday, I said I didn’t believe Meghan Markle in her Oprah interview. I’ve had time to reflect on this opinion, and I still don’t.”