Piers Morgan attacks BBC for rebuking Naga Munchetty over Trump ‘racism’ comment: ‘Shameful censorship’

Good Morning Britain presenter said BBC’s decision was ‘bloody ridiculous’

Piers Morgan has lashed out at the BBC after it rebuked its presenter Naga Munchetty for criticising US president Donald Trump during a broadcast.

Munchetty, who hosts a number of shows including BBC Breakfast, was found to have broken BBC guidelines when she called out Trump for telling a group of congresswomen to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came”.

The congresswomen he was referring to included Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar – all of whom are from minority backgrounds.

Munchetty was presenting the early morning show on 17 July when she went off-script from the teleprompter to declare: “Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism.

“Now I’m not accusing anyone of anything here, but you know what certain phrases mean.”

Speaking alongside Dan Walker, she added: ‘I can imagine lots of people in this country will be feeling absolutely furious that a man in that position feels it’s okay to skirt the lines with using language like that.’

While she was widely praised for her words, the BBC said she had broken its set of guidelines on impartiality.

Fellow presenter Morgan, who hosts ITV’s Good Morning Britain, has now spoken out in Munchetty’s defence and criticised the BBC, claiming they will have “gagged” her from commenting on the situation.

“Since the BBC will gag my breakfast show rival @BBCNaga from saying anything about this, allow me: it’s bloody ridiculous,” he tweeted. “Her words were powerful & necessary. Shameful censorship.”

In a statement, a BBC spokesperson said: “While Ms Munchetty was entitled to give a personal response to the phrase 'go back to your own country' as it was rooted in her own experience, overall her comments went beyond what the guidelines allow for.’ It is not known if the BBC will take any further action at this time.