Piers Morgan Addresses Claims Guest Was Briefed On What Not To Say On His ‘Uncensored’ Show

Piers Morgan has dismissed claims that a guest on his supposedly “Uncensored” show was briefed by producers on what not to say on air.

Earlier this week, the divisive host was joined by comedian and political activist Kate Smurthwaite for a discussion about one of Piers’ favourite topics (yes, that would be the Duchess of Sussex).

However, after her segment on Piers Morgan Uncensored aired, Kate said that her appearance on the show wasn’t quite as uncensored as its name suggested.

She tweeted on Thursday night: “Today in #MyLifeIsWeird I’m sat in the green room for Piers Morgan UNCENSORED (the producer has just told me at least three things NOT to say on air LOL #ActuallyCensored) when the other guest arrives who will be on for the second half of the show. It’s JOAN COLLINS…”

Piers soon contested this version of events, tweeting back 45 minutes later: “I just checked and nobody tried to censor you – we don’t censor guests, that’s the point of the show.”

“Yes I was,” Kate then responded. “Great, have me on again and I’ll say all the things I was told not to say.”

In a follow-up column in The Mirror, Kate claimed: “The producer pencilled the slot into my diary last week and rang in the morning to let me know what topics would be discussed and ask what my views were. Standard procedure.

“After their morning meeting, I had a confirmation call too. They were looking forward to having me on. The only thing was… they’d like me not to mention a couple of the things I had said in our earlier conversation. A remarkable request for a show that is literally called ‘uncensored’.”

She continued: “They didn’t want me to get ‘too personal’ with Morgan. They didn’t want me criticising or seeking to explain his ‘vindictive obsession’ with [Meghan Markle].

“The main thing they didn’t want me to say was: ‘You know that no matter how many hours you spend slagging her off, she’s still not going to shag you?’. True. Funny. Insightful. What’s not to love?”

Kate Smurthwaite on stage
Kate Smurthwaite on stage

Andrew Aitchison via Getty Images

Referring to Piers’ tweet, Kate added: “If, as he has subsequently claimed on Twitter, there was no effort to censor me, his producers would not have warned me beforehand to not get ‘too personal’ with Piers when discussing the topic of Meghan.

“I’d like to discuss his childish obsession with Markle. And then whilst I’m about it his nasty attitude towards some other celebrities and the way that the right wing media will cry censorship when it suits them and participate in the exact same thing when it doesn’t. I’ve got plenty to say.”

HuffPost UK has contacted Talk TV for comment.

Piers at the TRIC Awards last year
Piers at the TRIC Awards last year

Mike Marsland via Getty Images

In the weeks since its launch, reports have claimed that viewing figures for Piers’ show have taken a nosedive, with other programmes on Talk TV reportedly recording no audience at all at some points.

Amid reports of struggling ratings at Talk TV, 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.”

However, this somewhat contradicts what he repeatedly used to say during his tenure on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, when he would often goad BBC rival Dan Walker over their respective viewing figures.

Piers Morgan Uncensored certainly lived up to its name last month, when one interviewee dropped the C-bomb live on air while referring to the divisive host.

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Gogglebox’s Jenny Newby Updates Fans After Undergoing Surgery

Gogglebox star Jenny Newby has given fans a health update after her recent surgery, which has caused her to miss most of the current series.

Jenny and her pal Lee Riley have been absent for the past few weeks of Gogglebox, while she recovers from a minor medical procedure.

Speaking on the red carpet at the TV Baftas earlier this month, Lee revealed his close friend has been “not very well” in recent times, saying: “She is having an operation, a mini one. But she is recovering well, though.”

On Friday, Lee posted a clip of himself on his and Jenny’s joint Instagram page, telling followers: “Hi everybody, you’ll never guess who I just bumped into.”

“Hi, it’s me!” Jenny announced, with Lee celebrating that his BFF was “out of hospital”.

Jenny then said: “I just want to thank you all for your kind ‘get well’ wishes, they’ve really cheered me up. Thank you very much.”

She went on to confirm she’d be out of action for the rest of the current series of Gogglebox, but would be back when the show returns to our screens in the autumn.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you all in series 20,” Jenny said, while Lee added: “September, guys. We’ll be back! Have a lovely summer everybody!”

“I hope you get tanned!” she then added. “Bye my loves!”

The post received a lot of love from other members of the Gogglebox cast, including Izzi Warner, who wrote: “Glad to see you’re feeling better Jenny lots of love.”

Her sister Ellie agreed: “So glad to see you looking so well Jenny! Lots of love.”

Meanwhile, Mica Vee commented: “Sending lots of love from Meesh and Marky.”

Jenny and Lee have been Gogglebox favourites since 2014
Jenny and Lee have been Gogglebox favourites since 2014

Lee and Jenny have become one of the hit Channel 4 show’s most popular pairings, offering their critiques on the week’s telly from the sofa in Lee’s caravan since 2014.

Now into its 19th series, Gogglebox airs on Friday nights at 9pm on Channel 4.

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Ricky Gervais Defends ‘Taboo’ Comedy Following Backlash Over ‘Dangerous’ Jokes About Trans People In Netflix Special

Ricky Gervais has attempted to defend his style of comedy after he faced a backlash over jokes he makes about the trans community in his new Netflix special

The After Life creator’s newest show SuperNature began streaming earlier this week, and was quickly condemned over the material in his stand-up set, which also includes jokes about AIDS and female comedians.

SuperNature opens with Gervais telling the audience that his jokes are intended to be “ironic”.

He then goes on to refer to cisgender women as “old-fashioned women… the ones with wombs, those fucking dinosaurs”, before making disparaging comments about trans women.

The set then includes an imagined conversation between a cis woman objecting to sharing a toilet with trans women, including a joke about rape.

Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais

Vera Anderson via Getty Images

During an appearance on The One Show, the comic defended making jokes about “taboo subjects”.

“I think that’s what comedy is for, really – to get us through stuff, and I deal in taboo subjects because I want to take the audience to a place it hasn’t been before, even for a split second,” he said.

“Most offence comes from when people mistake the subject of a joke with the actual target.”

He continued: “It starts and they go, what’s he going to say? I tell the joke. Phew, they laugh.

“It’s like a parachute jump – it’s scary, but then you land and it’s all OK.

“I think that’s what comedy is for – getting us over taboo subjects so they’re not scary any more. So I deal with everything. And I think we second guess the audience too much.”

However, US LGBT rights group Glaad labelled the show “dangerous”, “anti-gay” and “anti trans” after its release on Tuesday.

“We watched the Ricky Gervais ‘comedy’ special on Netflix so you don’t have to,” they said. “It’s full of graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes. He also spouts anti-gay rhetoric and spreads inaccurate information about HIV.

“Netflix has a policy that content ‘designed to incite hate or violence’ is not allowed on their platform, but we all know that anti-LGBTQ content does exactly that. While Netflix is home to some groundbreaking LGBTQ shows, it refuses to enforce its own policy in comedy.

“The LGBTQ community and our allies have made it very clear that so-called comedians who spew hate in place of humor, and the media companies who give them a platform, will be held accountable. Meanwhile, there are PLENTY of funny LGBTQ comedians to support.”

Gervais’ remarks have also been heavily criticised on social media, including by many comedians on Twitter.

Many also took the opportunity to repost an old set from British comic James Acaster, lampooning established comedians for taking aim at the trans community.

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Netflix previously came under fire over comments featured in Dave Chappelle’s stand-up special towards the end of last year.

During his show The Closer, he argued that “gender is a fact” and said he was “team TERF”, an acronym for trans-exclutionary radical feminist.

HuffPost UK has contacted representatives for Ricky Gervais and Netflix for comment.

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