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LONDON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - High-profile television
personality Piers Morgan did not breach Britain's broadcasting
code in his criticism of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on ITV's
"Good Morning Britain" show earlier this year, Britain's media
regulator ruled on Wednesday.
The programme in March, in which Morgan said he did not
believe a word Meghan had said in a landmark interview she and
her husband Prince Harry gave to Oprah Winfrey, attracted more
than 50,000 complaints. Most concerned comments Morgan made on
mental health and suicide.
Meghan, who during the Winfrey interview revealed she had
felt suicidal while living as a royal in Britain, complained to
both Ofcom and ITV about the programme. Morgan left his job on
the show following the incident.
"Our decision is that overall the programme contained
sufficient challenge to provide adequate protection and context
to its viewers," Ofcom said.
In an interview that shook Britain's monarchy, Meghan, a
Hollywood actor who married Prince Harry in 2018, said the royal
family had also rejected her pleas for mental health support.
The couple have stepped back from royal duties and moved to the
United States.
Morgan, a former presenter on CNN, has accused the couple of
damaging the royal family and seeking publicity on their own
terms without accepting the responsibility and scrutiny that
come with their position. He had also dubbed her "Princess
Pinocchio" in a tweet.
"I'm delighted OFCOM has endorsed my right to disbelieve the
Duke & Duchess of Sussex’s incendiary claims to Oprah Winfrey,
many of which have proven to be untrue," Morgan said on Twitter.
"This is a resounding victory for free speech and a
resounding defeat for Princess Pinocchios. Do I get my job
back?"
A U.S.-based spokesperson for the Sussexes was not
immediately available for comment out of working hours.
Ofcom said that while it was concerned about Morgan's
apparent disregard for the seriousness of anyone expressing
suicidal thought, the extensive challenge offered by his
colleagues throughout the show provided sufficient context.
The broadcasting code allows for individuals to express
strongly held and robustly argued views, including those that
are potentially harmful or highly offensive, Ofcom said.
"The restriction of such views would, in our view, be an
unwarranted and chilling restriction on freedom of expression
both of the broadcaster and the audience," it said.
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan
Editing by Paul Sandle and Peter Graff)
