‘Utterly disgraceful’: Piers Morgan says BBC threw Emily Maitlis ‘under the bus’
Piers Morgan has accused the BBC of throwing Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis “under the bus” after the corporation ruled an introduction she gave on Tuesday’s programme breached impartiality guidelines.
The Good Morning Britain host tweeted in outrage at the BBC’s statement regarding its decision, calling the broadcaster “utterly disgraceful”.
Mr Morgan said: “You’ve got to be kidding me??? BBC chucking one of its best journalists @maitlis under the bus for TELLING THE TRUTH? Utter disgraceful.”
Ms Maitlis had received praise from some viewers for her opening to the show, in which she said that Boris Johnson’s top advisor Dominic Cummings had broken the rules of lockdown and added: “The country can see that, and it’s shocked the government cannot.”
She said in a 90-second monologue: “The disease is not a great leveller, the consequences of which everyone – rich or poor – suffers the same. This is a myth which needs debunking.”
On Wednesday, the BBC said in a statement that staff had been “reminded of the guidelines around impartiality. Ms Maitlis was replaced by Katie Razzall for the next episode of Newsnight, a decision that sparked more anger among those who were in support of her monologue.
“We’ve reviewed the entirety of last night’s Newsnight, including the opening section, and while we believe the programme contained fair, reasonable and rigorous journalism, we feel that we should have done more to make clear the introduction was a summary of the questions we would examine, with all the accompanying evidence, in the rest of the programme.
“As it was, we believe the introduction we broadcast did not meet our standards of due impartiality.”
Mr Morgan, who has been vocal in his disapproval of Mr Cummings’ actions, also took aim at other “high profile BBC stars” for not speaking out against the BBC’s decision.
“Cat got your cowardly tongues? If you don’t stand firm with her speaking the truth about a lying hypocrite whose reckless disregard of his own rules will cost lives, it will be you next,” he warned in another tweet. “Speak up!”
