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Piers Morgan defends interview with Thérèse Coffey after accusations of 'bullying'
Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan challenges Thérèse Coffey - Credit: ITV
Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan has hit back at his critics over an interview with Thérèse Coffey - in which she appeared to turn off her webcam off after awkward questioning about the pandemic.
Turning to Twitter, the minister explained: "As broadcasters/GMB know, I was due to speak to several programmes this morning about Kickstart Plan for Jobs.
"I was ready to be on air at 8.15 as pre-agreed with producer; when start time was delayed by GMB, I reminded producer I had to leave before 8.30 (to do the Today programme)".
But Morgan recounted a different set of events. He told her: "You blamed the UK’s shocking coronavirus death toll on the population’s age and obesity, not anything the government had done wrong in handling the pandemic. Then you called me ‘insulting’ for challenging you on your own words, and stormed off rather than answer me."
He told another follower: "She wanted to get out of there before she had to justify only blaming Britain’s age and obesity for our shocking covid death rate.... rather than government failures."
The breakfast show presenter also came under pressure from Coffey's own colleagues including Tory MP Michael Fabricant, who branded him a "male chauvinist bully boy".
The MP commented: "Well done Therese Coffey. Piers Morgan keeps you waiting when you had agreed a pre-arranged time slot, he tries to prevent you from going on BBC Today, then he talks all over you as he does with other guests. Male chauvinist bully boy."
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Morgan replied: "We were running a few minutes late on our schedule because we decided to give more time to a wonderfully inspiring Holocaust survivor."
He continued: "I don’t view robustly challenging government ministers over their own claims as bullying. I call it journalism."
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