Piers Morgan has blocked fellow broadcaster Simon McCoy on Twitter after the pair had a tense public exchange over viewing figures.
The divisive former daytime star launched his new show on Talk TV last month, saying in the lead-up that he hoped to use his platform to “cancel the cancel culture” which he claimed had “infected societies around the world”.
While reports have claimed that viewing figures for Piers’ show have taken a nosedive since its debut – with other shows on the network reportedly recording no audience at all at some points – he seemed undeterred by this when he tweeted about his ratings on Wednesday.
“UPDATE: [we] beat Sky News and GB News in the UK ratings AGAIN last night,” he wrote. “Still very early days, but the show is already gaining real traction around the world, making lots of news, and as I hoped, annoying all the right people.”
However, Simon McCoy – who knows a thing or two about struggling start-up stations, having stepped down from GB News’ on-air team last year – seemed unconvinced.
“Please show the figures,” he wrote back, alongside the hashtag #Facts.
Piers responded within 10 minutes: “Show me yours. Oh wait…”
“Retirement, Piers,” Simon replied. “Try it.”
“What, and be as bitter as you?” Piers then wrote back. “No thanks.”
Following this, Simon posted a screengrab on his page, showing that Piers had blocked him on Twitter.
Referring to Piers’ repeated comments about not shutting down debates, Simon joked: “Can’t have been. He says he’s open to debate…”
Piers did actually speak about his penchant for blocking those he disagrees with on an edition of his show Piers Morgan Uncensored this week.
“Believe me,” he told his viewers. “This may shock you, but people do say nasty things about me all the time on the internet. I don’t cancel them. But I do sometimes block them or call them morons.
“That too, is an exercising of my right to free speech.”
Piers previously tweeted: “Linear TV [is] increasingly irrelevant [compared] to total eyeball potential for a global show like this, especially with younger viewers who don’t really watch TV any more.”
This somewhat contradicts what he repeatedly used to say during his tenure on Good Morning Britain, when he would often goad BBC rival Dan Walker over their respective ratings.