ITV's Good Morning Britain has been revealed as the most complained about show on British screens in the last five years, having received more Ofcom complaints than any other TV programme. The current affairs programme, which is hosted by Susanna Reid and airs for three hours each weekday morning, has recorded 91,890 complaints between 2021 and 2024.
Over half of those complaints stem from one edition of the show in 2021, which was mostly dedicated to the discussion of an interview between Oprah Winfrey and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The majority of the 57,000 complaints said that Piers' comments about mental health and suicide, and discussions on issues relating to race and racism were "highly offensive" to some viewers, according to Ofcom.
© ShutterstockPiers Morgan's comments on Meghan Markle and Ofcom complaints
The Duchess of Sussex's in-depth interview with Oprah Winfrey was the topic of much discussion during an episode of Good Morning Britain that aired on ITV on 8 March 2021. Meghan had opened up about her mental health and said she "didn't want to be alive anymore" as she struggled with life within the Royal Family. She also revealed that her husband, Prince Harry, was asked by an unnamed family member "how dark" their son Archie's skin might be.
During the episode, Piers said he did not "believe a word she said", that he "wouldn't believe it if she read me a weather report", and "the fact that she's fired up this onslaught against our Royal Family I think is contemptible". The presenter briefly walked off the programme following a disagreement with weather presenter Alex Beresford.
In September of that year, ITV was cleared by Ofcom, which rejected a record 58,000 complaints about Piers Morgan's criticism of Meghan. An Ofcom spokesperson said that while Piers' comments were "potentially harmful and offensive to viewers", the media regulator took "full account of freedom of expression" and said "broadcasters can include controversial opinions as part of legitimate debate in the public interest". The spokesperson added that Ofcom had reminded ITV to take "greater care around content discussing mental health and suicide in future".
© ITV/REX/ShutterstockMore complained about TV shows
ITV2's Love Island was the second most complained about show in the last five years, with 66,252 complaints. One episode from 2021, which featured a row between contestants Faye Winter and Teddy Soares, sparked over 24,000 complaints.
Elsewhere, Emmerdale was the most divisive soap with 2,405 recorded complaints, while Coronation Street came second with 1,348 complaints.
