Piers Morgan has finally broken his silence over the rumours that Richard Madeley is set to replace him on Good Morning Britain
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Following his controversial exit from the ITV weekday morning show in March, there has been a lot of speculation over who will take over the reins as permanent co-host alongside Susanna Reid, with the former This Morning presenter emerging as a likely candidate.
And now Piers, 56, has made his feelings over the fact that Richard is being touted as the "new Piers Morgan" abundantly clear.
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Taking to Instagram this week, he snapped a photo of a recent interview with the TV presenter in a newspaper that bore the headline: "The phone hasn't rung and my inbox hasn't pinged but I'm ready to be the new Piers Morgan says Richard Madeley."
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In his caption for the post, Piers wrote: "What's happening to the old one?" alongside a wide-eyed emoji.
Richard, who will be stepping in as temporary co-host in June, has been a substitute presenter on the show since 2017. He previously voiced his interest in taking over the role of co-host full-time, telling Metro last month: "If the phone went and they said: 'Would you come in and talk?', of course I would talk to them. It would be bonkers not to."
However, the 64-year-old TV star added that he very much enjoys "sitting in" for the full-time presenters when they're unable to do the show as he has "all the fun and very little of the responsibility or flak".
© Photo: RexRichard Madeley will be co-hosting the show on a temporary basis in June
In March, it was announced that Piers had decided to leave the show following his remarks on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey.
A statement released by the broadcaster at the time read: "Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain. ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add."
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His decision to leave was also prompted by an investigation by TV watchdog Ofcom after his on-air comments about Meghan, and the organisation received more than 41,000 complaints.
It was later revealed that Meghan herself had formally complained to the broadcaster about Piers' comments. According to PA, the complaint is understood to focus on how Piers' comments may affect the issue of mental health generally and those attempting to deal with their own problems.
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