By Gabriel Princewill-
Meghan Markle’s Force brought Piers Morgan down in dramatic fashion, after the Duchess Of Sussex, after the television badly reacted to Markle’s dropping of bombshell after bombshell in a captivating 2 hour video shown on the CBS channel in The U.S.
Piers Morgan bowed out of ITV’s Good Morning Britain, which he co- hosted with Susana Reid for six years, after recklessly undermining the credibility of Meghan Markle’s account of mental health issues sustained during her time at the palace.
The outspoken television personality had berated Meghan Markle for over a year and a half. Unbeknown to him, his flawed reaction to the one interview she did with Oprah Winfrey, would drive him out of the popular morning television show. Such was the force of her interview, that all it took was for Morgan to fall for the waiting trap of responding inappropriately to revelations which evoked condemnation and shock for all that transpired in the 2 hour response.
After Morgan told his morning audience he did not believe a word of Meghan’s, it took 41,000 complaints, including one from Meghan Markle herself to ITV for him to step down from his post. The lively and controversial former television host overlooked Meghan’s complaints of racism and mental health problem, failing to exercise good discretion when it mattered most.
Piers Morgan first met Meghan Markle at a bar in Kensington in 2016, when the US actress was starring in legal drama Suits. She met Morgan while on a spring visit to the UK, as part of a trip that also included watching Wimbledon matches with her friend Serena Williams.
Morgan eventually put her in a cab where she headed to a party where she met Prince Harry. The television presenter claims Meghan ghosted her after that. The reasons Meghan did not contact him after that is not known, but her actions contributed to him developing a negative perception about her.
The television star also once recounted a story in which a man who dated Meghan Markle was ghosted by her after their date. It left a bad taste in Meghan’s mouth about her.
Unfortunately, Morgan allowed his personal dislike for Meghan to taint his professional judgement on this occasion. He is truly entitled to freedom of expression as he claims, but dismissing both complaints of racism and mental health at once, was bad taste.
Disturbing Accounts
During the televised documentary with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle revealed disturbing accounts into her experience of racism at Buckingham Palace.
An objective and sincere journalist is allowed to genuinely question any aspect of Meghan’s accounts, if the grounds provided are sound.
Notwithstanding, good discretion would checked Morgan and prevented him from openly disputing claims of mental health issues.
Not only can mental claims be highly subjective, when surrounding circumstances make it plausible that an individual could be suffering from mental health issues, it amounts to folly to just summarily dismiss such claims.
Meghan spoke of enduring suicidal thoughts, as she described a feeling of self destruction, resulting from having her freedom highly curtailed. She said her car keys, driving license, and passport were all seized, by the palace. She could barely go out, and had only gone out twice in four months at one point.
The beleaguered former U.S actress later recounted being told by her Husband Harry, that there had been conversations about how dark her unborn child may be in terms of what he may look like.
The comments made in relation to the unborn child of Meghan Markle, could have been done tongue in cheek, insensitive as that would be. Yet, when added to facts revealed that she was told that her first child would not have the title of prince once born, and would also be denied protection, fairness demanded that Morgan showed better judgement in his response.
Plausible
Ms Markle’s account was reasonable enough for most people to think it plausible that someone in those circumstances could easily develop mental health problems. More especially in the face of a barrage of negative press, irrespective of whether they are true. Meghan happens to claim the stories were false, and she was persuasive in doing so.
There is still the other side of the story, we haven’t heard. The palace has said the family will deal with it privately, and indication this is as hot as it gets.
The revelations were piercing and heart stopping, with a lot of hard lessons to be learnt.
Meghan critics say she should have known what she was getting into, or been primed for it. Yet, nothing could have prepared her for a series of shattering news that she and her son would be provided with no protection in the future.
At the time, the U.S actress was starring in legal drama Suits. She met Morgan while on a spring visit to the UK, as part of a trip that also included watching Wimbledon matches with her friend Serena Williams.
Reaction
Morgan’s departure has prompted a huge reaction from viewers and commentators, both positive and negative. But beyond those declaring their love or hatred for him, many have pointed out the far-reaching consequences of his exit.
It may be a symbolic and important gesture by a broadcaster concerned not to contradict its own message about mental health. But it will also mean the show loses its Rottweiler, who was widely praised for holding government ministers to account during the pandemic.
Morgan joined the ITV breakfast show in 2015, after several years of flagging ratings, captivating audiences with his bombastic style and assertive inclinations.
In 2014, Good Morning Britain was launched, and Susanna Reid was poached from BBC Breakfast.
Piers was recklessly bold, and very engaging in his assertiveness. You either loved or hate him. But he was undeniably is television ratings material.
A polarising figure, Morgan is forthright and can be challenging for unprepared guests, more so if they are wafflers. Yet, his better sense of judgement was woefully lacking here.
Unacceptable
Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething described Morgan’s comments as “wholly unacceptable, incredibly unkind and exactly where we should not be in public debate and discourse”.
“We’ve won lots of ground by talking and being more open about mental health challenges,” he said. “I think the comments and the tone of them would have set a number of people back.”
Despite the many objections from Piers Morgan’s detractors, he has start quality. Morgan is undeniably very intelligent and confident.
Working against him was the application of wisdom, which is the better part of valour. He needed better internal regulation.
As Channel 4 historian and media commentator Maggie Brown aptly put it: “Piers Morgan needed a stronger editor or producer to just keep him in check while allowing him to be bombastic, mainstream and successful. Himself. This is a common pattern for much appreciated TV stars who go on to overstep the mark.”
Ms Brown is so right. All Piers Morgan was missing was to be checked.