ITV CEO Carolyn McCall said the British broadcaster with Piers Morgan to the Good morning Britain presenter said live on air that he does not believe Meghan Markle has suicidal thoughts.
McCall was asked several times today about Morgan’s behavior during a media call for ITV’s earnings in 2020, and the former EasyJet boss suggested that managers raise questions about his comments, which are criticized by a mental health charity.
She has not yet spoken in person to Morgan, but said Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, “handles it while we talk.” She declined to comment on whether ITV would support or punish Morgan.
Asked if she believes Markle was sincere about her mental health in an interview with Oprah Winfrey (which aired on ITV on Monday at nine), McCall said: “I totally believe her when she says this and, importantly, everyone must.”
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She added: ‘The most important thing with mental health that ITV does and that it dedicates itself to is that we support, let our people talk, we listen, we say everyone should listen and everyone should believe, because that’s how you get people to to talk. So we are very much committed to that. ”
The intervention of charities Mind is particularly notable for being a proponent of ITV’s mental health campaign, Get Britain Talking. Asked if Morgan can say and tweet what he likes, even if it brings ITV promises into disrepute, McCall said Morgan qualified his remarks on air this morning.
Morgan said: ‘When we talked about this yesterday, I said it all, I still do not believe what Megham Markle says in general in this interview, and I have serious concerns about the truth of much of what she said. But let me just mention my point about mental illness and suicide.
“As far as mental illness and suicide are concerned, it is clear that these are extremely serious things and that they must be taken extremely seriously, and if someone feels that way, he must receive the treatment and the necessary help every time. Every time. And if they belong to an institution like the royal family, they should seek help and get it. It’s not for me to ask if she’s not suicidal, but I do not think about it. ‘
The former CNN anchor also stormed straight into the air after being brought to his job by co-star Alex Beresford over comments he made about Markle. Beresford calls Morgan’s’ devilish behavior ‘and says:’ I’m sorry, but Piers spits regularly and we all have to sit there and listen. Six-half-to-seven o’clock yesterday was incredibly difficult to keep track of. Incredibly hard to watch … He has the ability to come in here and speak from a position where he does not fully understand. ”