Piers Morgan’s possible GMB replacements as he quits immediately amid Meghan Markle controversy
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GMB forced to go to ad break after Piers Morgan storms off set after Meghan Markle row
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Piers Morgan has sensationally quit Good Morning Britain amid a week of controversy.
The outspoken presenter has decided to walk away from the breakfast show after more than five years at the helm after discussions with ITV bosses.
A spokesperson confirmed: “Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain.
“ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add.”
Just hours earlier, it was announced that Ofcom would be investigating complaints made against GMB and the presenter following his controversial remarks against Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
Piers was also involved in a dramatic moment on Tuesday morning where he stormed off set after being called out by Alex Beresford, who ironically could be set to replace him in the GMB hotseat.
Alex questioned Piers over his savage comments towards Meghan and Harry – with the outspoken presenter telling viewers he was ‘sickened’ by the ‘two hour trashathon’ interview with Oprah Winfrey.
When Alex addressed Piers’ personal relationship with Meghan and being cut off – he stormed away saying: “OK, I’m done with this. Sorry, no… sorry, can’t do this…”
Piers had been hailed as the “saviour of breakfast TV” by some since joining permanently in November 2015, while others have slammed the host for his controversial interview techniques.
Whether you love or hate him, Piers has certainly brought drama and entertainment back to morning TV and significantly boosted the ratings of GMB.
Now Piers had decided to quit, here is a look at the possible presenters that could replace him.
Alex Beresford 
It would be quit the twist if Alex Beresford ended up filling the Piers-shaped hole on GMB.
The pair have locked horns countless times live on air – with Tuesday morning’s clash seeming to be the final stand-off.
Telling Piers to take a step back over his Meghan Markle rants, Alex said: “And I understand you’ve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle or had one and she cut you off.
“She’s entitled to cut you off if she wants to. Has she said anything about you since she cut you off? I don’t think she has but yet you continue to trash her…”
Alex slammed “pathetic” Piers as he walked out of the studio in their most heated row to date, but it’s not been their first.
They previously clashed over men wearing baby-carrying papooses in 2019 – with Alex revealing he’d carried son Cruz in one when he was just a baby.
“If this is the future of mankind then we are dead,” Piers remarked.
GMB bosses then launched a poll to determine who was the more attractive – Piers or Alex – as the papoose debate blazed on, which was won by Alex with 70% of the vote
“Thick women would prefer Beresford, dimwit Beresford with his papoose and his tattoos,” Piers insisted. “Any woman with a brain would pick me.”
Alex certainly has the public backing to go on and replace Piers.
Richard Madeley 
Richard is the stand-out contender to replace Piers, having kept viewers pleading for more during his stints as a guest host.
His striking orange complexion and tan fails have got everyone talking and led to some awkward confessions on the show.
Many GMB viewers have likened Richard to the real-life Alan Partridge after a series of hilarious anecdotes and blunders.
He provided some of his greatest ever Partridge lines in a single episode in 2017, which started with a discussion on the Westminster harassment claims.
Richard said: “And that’s one of the questions of the day. To touch or not to touch? When is it appropriate and when is it not? We’ll be talking about that very soon.”
While presenting the competition, he said: “Speaking as a self-confessed petrol head, that is a serious piece of car. Can I enter the competition? Apparently not.”
In April last year he accidentally swore live on air, asking The Voice winner: “How do you feel when you think: ‘Oh, s**t I won it!?”
Ben Shephard 
Ben is certainly no stranger to breakfast TV, having joined GMTV in 2000 before joining GMB when it launched in 2014.
It was actually Piers that started taking shifts away from Ben when he joined a few years later.
While Piers takes the first three days of the week, Ben fills in alongside Susanna on Thursdays and Kate Garraway on a Friday.
Ben also fills in for Piers on special occasions, such as when he came down with coronavirus symptoms earlier this year.
However, ITV have reportedly ear-marked Ben Shephard as a potential replacement for Phillip Schofield if the longtime host ever left This Morning.
According to The Sun, ITV’s daytime boss Emma Gormley sees Ben as the top candidate to step into Phillip’s shoes.
This would mean Ben would have to give up his normal presenting duties on Good Morning Britain.
But a spokesperson for ITV told Mirror Online there’s no truth to the claim, describing it as “untrue”.
Eamonn Holmes 
Eamonn has been gracing our screens in the morning for decades, having started on GMTV’s first ever show in 1993.
After leaving Sky News, Eamonn made a much-welcomed return to ITV on GMB in August 2017.
Eamonn admitted it was great to be back in the studio despite the “ridiculously” early wake-up call.
“I’ve been out of news for six months now and it’s great to get back in and just be involved in events so thanks for having me,” he said. “Thank you for tolerating me.”
Eamonn is a massive fans of Piers and has hailed him as the “saviour” of morning telly.
“He came there and shook it up,” said the presenter last month.
“He was the right man in the right place at the right time. And so far, so good.”
He would also have to give up his job hosting This Morning, but has previously done both in the same day.
Jeremy Kyle 
Jeremy Kyle has been a divisive presenter when he has stepped in for Piers over the years.
In 2018, he infuriated viewers with his shouting and flamboyant displays, with some begging for Piers to come back.
That same year he was also slammed for making “rude” comments yo stand-in TV doctor and Love Island star Dr Alex George.
He has also had some tense moments with his fellow GMB presenters, which have not gone down well.
Jeremy once threatened to throw glass of water over Richard Arnold after he was accused of trying to give his co-hosts a “masterclass” in presenting.
In 2017, during a discussion on playing rugby, Jezza asked Kate Garraway: “What do you think you’d be? A hooker?”
Embarrassed Jeremy then said: “When I said hooker I actually didn’t know what I meant but now I realise it’s come out wrong.”
Rylan Clark Neal 
The X Factor singer turned presenter was a popular addition to the This Morning team in 2014.
Starting out as a showbiz and gossip reporter, Rylan easily made the transition into main presenter and has regularly taken on the role.
Rylan has presented alongside main hosts Holly, Phillip, Eamonn and Ruth as well as special guests including his ‘Big Brother sister’ Emma Willis and husband Dan Neal.
However, in December 2017, Rylan announced that he would be taking an extended break from his This Morning duties.
The early mornings on GMB could prove too much for the much-loved presenter.
“I was on This Morning pretty much four or five days a week, explained Rylan to The Metro this year.
“So it was quite a lot for me to do This Morning, four or five days a week plus the Big Brother 11 o’clock at night five nights a week.”
“People genuinely think you’re just on TV for the hour but I’d get to This Morning at half eight and I’d be on air until half 12.
Jeremy Clarkson 
The former Top Gear host, who is currently entertaining audiences on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, but could he make the big switch to morning TV?
It seems very unlikely that Clarkson would ever get Piers’ blessing as the pair have a long-standing battle going on.
After trading insults in public, their row came to a head when Jeremy reportedly punched Piers at the 2004 British Press Awards.
“My three-year-old hits harder than that,” said Piers, who was said to have been left with a scar on his head.
After years of bickering the pair made a truce five-hour pub drinking session in 2014.
Since then they appear to have become fairly close pals and even got together on holiday in St. Tropez in 2017.
Morgan stated in his Daily Mail column that the pair had made a truce after a in a pub back in the summer of 2014. Since then, they even met up in St. Tropez while they were both on holiday
Jeremy may fancy taking over from his old rival, but could it spark another row?
Bill Turnbull 
Bill Turnbull has filled in for Piers Morgan and reunited with former BBC Breakfast co-host Susanna Reid on the rival show.
The pair came back together for the first time in six years in February this year and proved they still had the old chemistry.
Bill even made a very cheeky and brave jibe at the man he was replacing.
After seeing pancake versions of their faces, Bill joked: “They were going to do one for Piers but they couldn’t find a pan big enough for his head.”
Cheeky Bill also joked about Piers when the GMB host celebrated his five year anniversary on-screen with Susanna.
“@susannareid100 Five years with @piersmorgan, Suze?,” wrote Bill.
“Surely an honour of some kind beckons – for outstanding patience and putting up with stuff. Congratulations.”
Adil Ray 
Actor Adil Ray, who is the star of Citizen Khan, has been replacing Piers as guest host on GMB since August 2018.
The pair have never worked together on-screen, which is probably a good thing after some of their online clashes.
In November last year, Adil took a swipe at Piers on Have I Got News For You, joking: “The best thing about standing in for Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain is that you don’t have to meet Piers Morgan.”
It will come as no surprise that Piers wasted no time in firing back at his occasional replacement.
“Best thing about Adil filling in for me is he always tanks the ratings,” he savagely tweeted.
Adil has often got himself into some funny situations, once being accused of flirting with Susanna and revealing how he ‘accidentally’ found himself on a nudist beach.
Sean Fletcher 
Sean initially joined Good Morning Britain as a sports newsreader for the first episode in April 2014.
He now stands in for Charlotte Hawkins as the relief newsreader – and has had some hilarious run-ins with Piers over the years.
In 2017, the news presenter claimed Susanna must know a lot about snakes because she works with one every day.
Piers was visibly fuming with the insult, which seemed to come out of nowhere from the usually mild-mannered Sean.
Even Piers was stunned by the sharp barb, as it’s usually him dishing out the insults on morning TV, replying: “Wow bit early for that Fletcher.”
Things got even more intense in 2018 when Piers threatened to brutally torture Sean after taking offence to a Viagra joke.
The presenter lost his cool and told his Good Morning Britain co-host he would feed him to a thousand ants.
Piers then went one step further and said he’d get tennis champ Roger Federer to smash balls covered in arsenic at his head for two hours.
Confused Susanna asked: “What is going on in your imagination?”
*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV at 6am