Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Good Morning Britain ratings sink to 450,000 viewers after Piers Morgan exit

Viewing figures have been in steady decline since Piers Morgan’s dramatic exit

Ellie Harrison
Thursday 03 June 2021 08:34 EDT
Comments
‘I still don’t believe Meghan Markle’, Piers Morgan says

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Good Morning Britain’s ratings have plunged, with just 451,000 viewers watching yesterday’s episode (2 June).

Viewing figures for the ITV breakfast show have been declining since Piers Morgan’s dramatic exit in March. Ratings had hit a record high at 1.9m viewers the day before he quit over the backlash to his comments about Meghan Markle.

Morgan has claimed that he’s been asked to return to the show, which was hosted on Tuesday by Adil Ray and Ranvir Singh. 

He told The Sun: “I have no doubt I could take the ratings back to where I left them – but the doubt is, would anyone be allowed to do it that way again?

“I was hired to give very strong, honestly held opinions, which I did. But in the end I was asked to apologise for a genuinely held opinion.”

Numerous presenters have guest hosted in Morgan’s place, while producers search for a permanent replacement.

Morgan stepped down from his role as GMB co-host following a row over his remarks about Markle.

The controversial presenter had made repeated criticisms of Markle, but sparked thousands of Ofcom complaints when he said he “didn’t believe a word” of Markle saying she’d be left with “suicidal thoughts” during her time as a royal.

Mental health charity Mind called his comments “concerning” and “disappointing”.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in