Piers Morgan Admits It Was ‘Gutless and Cowardly’ to Quit TV Show Over Meghan Markle

Piers Morgan has admitted it was “gutless and cowardly” for him to have walked off the set of Good Morning Britain during a confrontation with a fellow presenter over Meghan Markle.

The British journalist famously walked out of the studio after he and Alex Beresford clashed on the show in March, the day after Markle and her husband Prince Harry’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey aired in the U.K.

While Morgan returned to the studio minutes later, it was to be his last day on Good Morning Britain as it was announced that he had parted ways with the show.

In a new column for the Daily Mail, in which he launched a new attack on Simone Biles for her decision to quit two gymnastics finals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Morgan chose to address his own moment of walking away.

And while he conceded that criticism of his actions at the time was justified, he took another swipe at Markle, who he accused of “playing the mental health and race cards.”

Speaking of Biles, Morgan wrote in the column, which was published on Wednesday: “Sorry if it offends all the howling Twitter snowflake virtue-signallers, but I don’t think it’s remotely courageous, heroic or inspiring to quit.

“And yes, I say that as someone who walked off the set of Good Morning Britain earlier this year during an argument with a co-worker about Meghan Markle, the person who more than any other has fuelled this cynical new phenomenon of shutting down legitimate criticism by disingenuously playing the mental health and race cards.

“What happened to me exposed the ludicrous hypocrisy at the heart of the social media quitter-lovers. I only left for a few minutes before returning to my desk, but that was long enough for Twitter to forever brand me a gutless coward and snivelling weak-minded weasel.

“Indeed, after I tweeted criticism of Simone Biles yesterday, thousands of people promptly bombarded me with the now infamous meme of me walking off, and savagely mocked for quitting.

“Oddly, they didn’t think ME quitting was as brave, heroic and inspiring as Ms Biles quitting! Nor, of course, did any of them ever give a damn about my mental health as they spewed their vile foul-mouthed abuse.

“But here’s the thing: they were right, and I was wrong. It WAS gutless and cowardly of me to walk off. If you’re going to dish it out, then you’ve got to take the heat when it flies back at you, which is why I went back and finished the discussion with my co-worker.

“Just as when you call yourself the GOAT in sport, you can’t then quit the moment things get tough or you make a mistake. Something that I’m sure Simone Biles, in her heart, must realise because she’s a great champion and great champions just don’t do that.”

In an interview with Australia’s 60 Minutes, which aired in June, Morgan said that Meghan had “personally complained” to the bosses of Good Morning Britain before his departure.

Broadcaster ITV reported in March that the Duchess of Sussex had issued a formal complaint about Morgan, after he questioned her claims of not having had support from Buckingham Palace while battling her own mental health issues.

Markle had concerns about the way his dismissal of her claims in the interview could affect others who might be experiencing problems with their mental health, according to ITV.

Update 7/28/21 10:55 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include additional background information.

Piers Morgan (L) has admitted it was “gutless and cowardly” of him to have stormed off the set of “Good Morning Britain” during a disagreement with a co-host over Meghan Markle (R). MWE/GC Images;/Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images