Morgan's TV terror gaffe

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Piers apologises to viewers

Piers Morgan sparked panic among This Morning viewers today when he claimed al Qaida is about to stage a terrorist spectacular.

The former Daily Mirror editor, who is standing in for Phillip Schofield, didn't realise his comments were being broadcast live on air.

Morgan and co-presenter Fern Britton were filmed during an ad break for Trisha, the show which precedes This Morning on ITV1.

The pair were supposed to tell viewers what was coming up in the programme.
Instead Morgan was seen declaring that al Qaida planned a terrorist attack to disrupt the US presidential election.

"I tell you what, I would brace yourselves for something in the next few days," he warned.

Britton asked: "Why?" and Morgan replied: "I just think that al Qaida, with an election, I think they have been waiting for the election."

At that point a producer informed them, via their earpieces, that they were live on air.

A startled Morgan had time to utter: "Good morning! On today's show..." before time ran out and viewers were taken back to Trisha.

When This Morning began 15 minutes later, the embarrassed duo apologised for Morgan's outburst.

"I want to put everyone's minds at rest, we had a live television slip-up earlier where we usually do our promotion for the show and it goes out live, as a lot of you saw, and we didn't realise we were live," Britton said.

"Don't panic, nothing is about to happen."

Morgan explained: "We were getting quite political and I was expressing that there had been a CIA report yesterday that was leaked, that they were worried about a terrorist attack in America before the US election.

"I don't know anything, so if any of you are worried that I have any inside information about any terrorist attack, I don't. I hope that clears that up. We were just having a little private conversation.

"It's nothing new, there have been loads of rumours and speculation but I'm sure nothing will happen."

Britton told viewers: "That's something that you don't have to be a spy to understand, that possibly with an election coming up something may happen."

Morgan, who left the Mirror in May after publishing faked photographs of British soldiers abusing an Iraqi prisoner, said he was not privy to inside information.

He quipped: "Trust me, nobody tells me anything any more."

Morgan has presented the daytime show for the last three days while regular host Phillip Schofield is on holiday.

Tomorrow he will be replaced by Sir Cliff Richard.

 

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