Piers Morgan's departure from ITV's breakfast show, GMB, needs analysis.
Day One (Monday)
Piers, 55, joins the team, as usual, at 0630, and delivers his customary rant, without autocue. It's often a bundle of things that have upset him overnight, thrown out in the manner of a phone-in show host, and sometimes focussed on a single topic. On Meghan Markle's conversation with Oprah Winfrey, his principal point is that he didn't believe a word she says, reinforced through the show by references to 'Miss Pinocchio'. Co-host Susanna Reid, alongside, adopts previously unseen intensities of lemon-sucking grimaces.
Piers doesn't hang around for the post-programme inquest. The production team has a number of BAME members.
Day Two (Tuesday)
Occasional weather forecaster Alex Beresford is on set from 0630. It's not his normal day. The previous Friday, Piers tweeted "I think it’s maybe time to ban our Princes from marrying American women". Alex had tweeted back "You ever stop and think maybe you should give this woman carrying a baby a break?"
Alex says his piece on air: ‘I understand that you don’t like Meghan Markle you’ve made that so clear a number of times on this programme. I understand that 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.’
Piers stands up to leave the set ‘I’m done with this. Sorry. You can trash me, mate, but not on my own show. See you later, can’t do this'. In a tweet he said "I was annoyed, went for a little cool-down, and came back to finish the discussion." When he returned to set, he told Alex: ‘I completely respect that. It was my idea to have you on to talk about this.’
Also in the news that morning, an embargoed story from Ofcom, warning news presenters about monologues, cf complaints about Emily Maitlis on Newsnight: "It is an important reminder that when preparing programme introductions in news programmes,
which are designed to catch the audience’s attention – particularly in matters of major political
controversy – presenters should ensure that they do not inadvertently give the impression of setting
out personal opinions or views."
After the show, ITV CEO Carolyn McCall reveals that there are continuing conversations with Piers. Round about midday, overnight figures for GMB on Monday reveal a record audience share of 31%, which clearly cheers Piers. BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker takes a hard line on Twitter.
In the afternoon, Ofcom, now officially part of the Cancel Culture by responding to volumes rather than quality of complaints, also takes to Twitter. (Kevin Bakhurst, 55 is the Content Director who sets store by knowing numbers)
Not long after 6pm, ITV and Piers reveal their parting of the ways. It's clear ITV needed an on-air apology, and that Piers refused to give it.
Day Three (Today, Wednesday)
In traditional Piers fashion, he's already seeking to change the narrative - his views are being suppressed.
Meanwhile two nascent tv operations, at GB News and News UK, have presenter vacancies.
No comments:
Post a Comment