Piers Morgan has hit out at a supposed government ban on any active ministers appearing on Good Morning Britain.
In the last few weeks, the usually-divisive presenter has won praise for his interviews with government officials about the coronavirus pandemic, in particular the way he has held certain ministers to account.
However, on Thursday morning, Piers fired off a tweet claiming that they would no longer be permitted to appear on the ITV daytime show.
“The UK Govt has banned any ministers from appearing on [Good Morning Britain] after a series of them made complete fools of themselves in the face of basic & important questions,” he wrote.
Addressing the official Twitter accounts for Boris Johnson and 10 Downing Street, he continued: “This is a pathetic & cowardly response to THEIR shameful incompetence.”
HuffPost UK has contacted Downing Street for comment.
Piers is currently on a break from GMB, and has been since the beginning of this week, after showing “a mild symptom” of coronavirus.
Since then, he has tested negative for Covid-19, and has told viewers he would be back in the studio from Monday onwards.
During lockdown, Piers has increased his workload on the ITV breakfast show, co-hosting four days a week instead of his usual three.
And while many have been impressed with his interviews with government ministers during the crisis, his approach hasn’t been without controversy.
More than 3,000 complaints were made to the TV watchdog Ofcom following two interviews with Care Minister Helen Whately on GMB last month.
Another 600 viewers also complained about Piers’ interview with Health Secretary Matt Hancock on 16 April.
However, the regulator announced they would not be taking the matter any further, noting that Piers is “well-known for his combative interviewing style” and viewers would expect him to challenge senior politicians.