Summary

The Free Speech Union has written to Dame Carolyn McCall, CEO of ITV, to ask for clarification about the departure of Piers Morgan from Good Morning Britain. According to press reports, Morgan left after senior managers at ITV insisted that he apologise for his remarks about the Duchess of Sussex on Good Morning Britain on Monday the 8th of March. If that’s true, it is deeply concerning, particularly if ITV’s insistence on an apology was partly prompted by a complaint the Duchess of Sussex herself made to ITV. Public broadcasters should not force their journalists to apologise if they say something that upsets rich and powerful celebrities or members of the Royal Family. Not only does that have worrying implications for free speech, but it could be a breach of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code.