Piers Morgan lashes out at Good Morning Britain viewers who trolled him online on his first day back
Presenter and co-star Susanna Reid were both attacked online after returning to the screen following their summer break
PIERS Morgan has branded a Good Morning Britain viewer "a halfwit" after they lamented the fact he had replaced Ben Shephard.
Speaking on Monday's show after Kate Garraway's news segment, the 51-year-old said: "It's wonderful to be back isn't it?
"Someone has tweeted me saying 'I so much prefer Ben Shephard and Kate Garraway' and I'd like to point out Kate Garraway is sitting here. This is Kate Garraway you halfwit."
Piers, who had returned to the ITV show after his summer break alongside co-host Susanna Reid, pointed to Kate on his right, as Susanna took a few moments to catch up with what he had just said.
She began: "Ben's here on Thursday...what did you just say?"
Kate chipped in: "I don't agree with the last bit."
Nonchalantly Piers replied: "I called a viewer a halfwit."
Scolding her co-host, Susanna replied: "No that's not helpful."
As Piers asked why not, the 45-year-old replied she would prefer Ben too if Piers was going to call viewers such names.
Kate added: "Don't call anyone who likes me a halfwit Piers."
Defending himself from the comments on both sides, Piers replied: "Anybody who tweets saying I'm missing Kate Garraway when she's sitting right next to me is demonstrably a halfwit, in fact that may be exaggerating, they may be a quarter wit."
As Kate rubbed her temple and said "Oh Lord", Susanna rolled her eyes and gave Piers a disapproving look.
Trying to smooth things over, she said to the camera: "I think you're fully in charge of your wit and if you prefer one presenter to another that's well within your rights as a viewer."
Not backing down, Piers replied: "It's the fact they didn't even know she was here, the one they were demanding to come back!"
Moving on, Susanna said: "Did you say it's good to be back? I'm not sure any more!"
It wasn't the first time on the show that the pair addressed the negative comments they had received over their return.
Earlier in the show, Piers mentioned some of the messages he had received online, before Susanna confessed to being trolled too.
He said: "I was excited about coming back this morning.
"When I walked into the studios, everybody cheered! But sadly not all the viewers are very happy to see me.
"One person on Twitter called Lady Penelope sent me a tweet saying 'Can somebody speak to Piers Morgan's stylist? He looks like he's morphing into Frankenstein. All that's missing are bolts in his neck!'"
Susanna replied it was an unkind thing to say, before explaining one of her comments insulted her appearance too.
She said: "Apparently Piers looks like Frankenstein and I need to work on my eyebrows."