From news reports and criticisms from American media, to jokes at his expense coming from the UK, Piers Morgan has been on the receiving end of a lot of unfriendly fire since news of his show’s cancellation broke.
The New York Daily News reports Morgan’s own staff is happy to see him go, with his makeup artists leading the parade.
“He was always such an a—— to people working for him,” one insider says of the bombastic Brit. Morgan’s last show is likely to be this week, but no specific date has been set. We hear it was low ratings and a bad attitude that killed it, and the decision was made by network boss Jeff Zucker. “The makeup girls suffered the worst — he was rude and belligerent,” says our source. “The general feeling is Morgan didn’t show any respect to anyone working under him — the people who were trying to make him look good.”
Advertisement
On that front, Morgan went after the Daily News on Twitter this morning.
Hi @NYDailyNews – found any CNN make-up artists I was ever rude to yet? Or you going to admit you just invented that garbage?
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 25, 2014
Morgan’s British cavalry also came to lend support: his former warm up act from “Britain’s Got Talent,” Ian Royce, blogged in Piers’ defense.
“Never once have I EVER experienced Piers being “Rude” nor “Mistreat” ANY of his employees or anyone who works on the show with him,” Royce wrote.
And he also received support from his show’s EP Jonathan Wald, who tweeted out photo evidence to debunk the Daily News report.
Breaking: @piersmorgan getting along with everyone in the makeup department. pic.twitter.com/jiY5iR7a5q
— Jonathan Wald (@jonathanwald) February 25, 2014
Fox News’ Howard Kurtz writes it wasn’t just Morgan’s gun obsession that did him in.
But it was his manner as much as anything else that was hard to swallow. Morgan is a talented broadcaster and has a certain rogue charm, but he also radiates smugness and condescension. I have no doubt he is sincere in his deep-seated belief in gun control, but it would have been a whole lot easier to take if he wasn’t berating the other side as a bunch of idiots. The notion of a Brit lecturing Americans about their laws, as David Carr observed in breaking the story, was a bit much.
And in a real tough pill to swallow, Morgan is even getting made fun of on the homefront.
We’ll always do our best to help anyone find a new job. With one exception. pic.twitter.com/qgUyebpw0y
— Jobsite UK (@JobsiteUK) February 25, 2014
>UPDATE: CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin is coming to the defense of Morgan, telling TVNewser via Twitter the New York Daily News report is false.
@evanmcmurry @JordanChariton: @nydailynews story re @piersmorgan is bullshit. He has been a total gentleman at @cnn. Feel free to quote me.
— Jeffrey Toobin (@JeffreyToobin) February 25, 2014
>UPDATE: Another CNN colleague is coming out to support Morgan. “Legal View” host Ashleigh Banfield tweeted TVNewser kind words about the soon-to-be ex CNN primetime host.
@piersmorgan is 1 of the kindest, most affable colleagues I’ve come across in my 26 years. @evanmcmurry @JordanChariton @nydailynews @cnn.
— Ashleigh Banfield (@CNNAshleigh) February 26, 2014