Yasmin Rufo
Culture reporter
PA Media
Piers Morgan has returned to Good Morning Britain almost four years after he left ITV over controversial comments about the Duchess of Sussex.
The 59-year-old re-joined his former co-presenter Susanna Reid and Ed Balls on the show to discuss his recent conversation with US President Donald Trump.
The TV presenter walked off the morning programme on 8 March 2021 after he said he did not believe claims made by Meghan Markle during her and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.
On Monday morning, Morgan started his interview saying: “Hang on, are we just going to ignore the fact I haven’t been here for 1,453 days?”
He then tried to give Reid a hug, which she rejected, saying: “No, I don’t want a hug.”
Former MP Balls offered to hug Morgan, saying: “We don’t mind hugging.”
Morgan also remarked to Reid that she had “moved on so fast” to a new co-presenter, to which she replied: “I’ve got a couple of new husbands now.”
Balls assured Morgan that she did not hug him either, to which Reid responded: “No, I don’t do hugs, as you know.”
Launching into the interview, Morgan said he had a phone call with Mr Trump on Friday ahead of the US president’s clash with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.
He said Mr Trump had been in an “upbeat mood” on the call where they had discussed numerous topics including Ukraine.
“I’ve had screaming matches with him, literally, and then an hour later, we’re laughing and joking, doing a fun interview.
“So I always think with him, focus on what he does, not what he says, or the general drama and chaos.
“And secondly, understand that this is almost uniquely in modern times, a Republican president in America who wants peace, not war.”
At the end of the interview, Morgan told Balls to stop wearing ties but the former MP replied: “Piers, as you know, I always do what the editor wants.”
To which Morgan quipped: “Or what Susanna tells you to do, bad for her brand if you take the tie off.”
Reid said it had “nothing” to do with her and pointed out the exit to him, saying: “There’s a door there. I’m not sure if you recognise it Piers?”
The episode of GMB that Morgan stormed off from four years ago is the most complained about show in Ofcom history with more than 54,000 complaints lodged.
The Duchess of Sussex also made a formal complaint to ITV about Morgan.
The media watchdog later ruled that Good Morning Britain was not in breach of the broadcasting code over Morgan’s comments but said they were “potentially harmful and offensive”.
