How Piers Morgan & Alan Sugar were best of frenemies – until jokey spats finally boiled over in bitter coronavirus feud

THEY'VE thrown endless furious insults at each other on Twitter, hit out in explosive rants on TV and even gone personal with catty weight jibes - but Piers Morgan and Alan Sugar have always secretly been the best of frenemies nonetheless.

However, those years of jokey spats are now finally boiling over as they go head to head in a very bitter coronavirus feud, putting their long-term friendship under threat.

While many fans have only ever seen Lord Sugar, 73, and Good Morning Britain host Piers, 55, exchanging very public blows, they've actually managed to remain close behind the scenes the whole time.

From a luxury holiday together last year, to a heartfelt birthday speech and defending each other when things go too far, they've ensured their differences don't have any lasting impact.

However, the pair have now declared all out war on each other amid the Covid-19 outbreak, with Piers branding his rival a "disgrace" and going as far as to block him on Twitter, while Lord Sugar has accused his "former friend" of "exploiting this pandemic for his own gain".

So will the nasty feud prove one step too far for the pair?

Here we look back at how their friendship has previously withstood some of their worst rows...

'You're fired!'

Their rivalry really began in 2007 when Piers took part in Comic Relief Does The Apprentice - and was promptly fired by Lord Sugar.

In what was a shock outcome for many viewers, Lord Sugar told the contestants: "There is one person here who's more responsible for the general winding people up, it's the demeanour that has cost you this. Mr Piers Morgan, you are fired."

Piers immediately hit back, branding it an "absolute travesty" and adding: "Without my contribution we would have raised a pitiful sum of money that would have made us national laughing stocks."

It proved the start of a series of angry blows online and during TV appearances in the years that followed, as Piers appeared unable to forgive Lord Sugar for his decision.

Speaking eight years later on Good Morning Britain, Piers said: "I raised nearly $200,000 in that one-off extravaganza for Comic Relief, and you responded by firing me!"

Feud fires up - with Piers' mum and even Trump involved

While the pair have often gone head to head on their differing political opinions, as well as criticising each other following interviews, their feud has previously got personal too.

Responding to a news story in 2016 about Piers and his mum Gabrielle, Lord Sugar wrote on Twitter: ";Traditionally at birth doctors slap a babies bum. When @piersmorgan was born doctor took one look and slapped his mum."

Refusing to be baited too much however, Piers simply replied: "That joke's almost as old, toe-curling & unfunny as you."

Later that year however it took a very surprising turn when Donald Trump got involved too.

The now-US President, who hosted the US Apprentice, slammed Lord Sugar on Twitter over the UK'S use of wind turbines, and it quickly escalated.

Trump eventually wrote: "Unlike you, I own The Apprentice. You were never successful enough..... and many others. Drop to your knees, Sugar, and say thank you, Mr. Trump."

Not missing the opportunity to jump on the bandwagon, Piers then tweeted: "Don't wish to interfere obviously @realDonaldTrump - but it may be time to fire @Lord_Sugar from YOUR show for his impertinence?"

The feud continued from there, with Sugar firing back and writing: "You have had a charisma bypass."

He added: "You are full of sh**. Trump you have no power over the UK Apprentice."

'You're as fat as a meatball!'

The feuds have only heated up in the years since, with Lord Sugar also pointing the finger at Piers' hosting of GMB.

"You need to be less competitive in wanting to hog the whole show let @susannareid100 speak," he previously wrote.

Spotting the tweet in time, Piers then addressed it on the show, saying: "We've all watched The Apprentice mate. We watched what you do to Karren Brady and I give Susanna far more air time than you give your own female co-workers... So pipe down Lord S."

But while many of their comments are cutting to say the least, others take on a more comical side.

In December 2016, Lord Sugar phoned in to GMB shortly after landing from Florida, during a discussion with former Apprentice star Nick Hewer.

Kicking off the insults from the get-go, he said: “I turned on the TV and saw Piers – it’s enough to give me morning sickness."

However, proving they truly are good friends underneath the insults, Piers later admitted: "It pains me to say this but underneath the hideous exterior, the growling, unpleasant demeanour actually he's not a bad bloke."

I saw you prancing around in the summer, you looked like a beached whale.

Lord Sugar

A year later, things took another funny turn when Lord Sugar commented on Piers’ well-known feud with model Emily Ratajowski over her controversial shoot for the LOVE magazine calendar, in which she's seen writhing around on a table of spaghetti in red and white underwear.

Lord Sugar wrote: “You should be writhing naked in Spaghetti as you look and are as fat as meat ball (sic)”.