Piers Morgan replaced by Ben Shephard on Good Morning Britain after host quit show
PIERS Morgan was replaced by Ben Shephard on today’s Good Morning Britain after quitting the show last week.
The divisive broadcaster’s last show was last Tuesday after he clashed with ITV bosses over his comments on Meghan Markle’s Oprah Winfrey interview.
🔵 Follow our Piers Morgan live blog for the latest on his GMB exit…
While there’s been no official word on who will be his permanent replacement, Victoria Derbyshire has been heavily tipped for the role.
But today it was show stalwart Ben who filled the Piers-sized gap beside Susanna Reid.
Piers’s shadow loomed large over the studio all of last week, but it now appears to be behind the team with no mention of him today.
Yesterday it was revealed Piers is locked in a mega-money bidding war that could see him return to the US.
The 55-year-old is highly sought-after by TV bosses on both sides of the Atlantic.
He has been publicly courted by both start-up news service GB News and news channels in America.
A TV source told the : “He has had millions of pounds worth of offers. He turned GMB into a ratings hit, it seems everything he touches turns to gold.
“People love his honesty, even the people that don’t like him, they can’t help but be interested in what he says.
“Some of the offers have hit the £10million mark, and it seems he may be able to land exactly what he wants.”
GB News boss Andrew Neil has also made no secret of wanting to bag Piers for his news network – even offering him a job on live TV.
He said ahead of its launch this month: “Any network worth its salt could find a role for a broadcaster of his calibre.”
Piers quit Good Morning Britain after refusing to apologise for his remarks about Meghan Markle.
It came after 41,000 Ofcom complaints were received over his comments and a furious on-air row with GMB co-star Alex Beresford.
The 40-year-old had accused Piers of “trashing” Meghan Markle after he said he didn’t believe the she had suffered suicidal thoughts while a royal.
Piers is well known in the US from his time as a judge on Americans’ Got Talent and his CNN show, which he fronted for three years before it was cancelled.
He then returned to the UK and was persuaded by his agent to take a job on Good Morning Britain.