Alex Beresford has opened up about why he felt so passionately about debates surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the wake of their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey last month.
In the interview, Meghan revealed she previously had suicidal thoughts due to the abuse she had received when joining the royal family.
While discussing the interview on Good Morning Britain the following day,former host Piers Morgan said: “I’m sorry, I don’t believe a word she said, Meghan Markle. I wouldn’t believe it if she read me a weather report.”
His remarks were widely criticised, including by Beresford, who addressed Morgan’s comments on live TV, describing his segment about Meghan as “incredibly hard to watch”.
Morgan promptly walked off the show and later announced he would be stepping down from his role at GMB.
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Now, Beresford has spoken out about the clash, revealing that, since defending Meghan on the programme, he has been “subjected to relentless racism” on social media and has since stepped “away” from Twitter and Facebook.
“I am a strong person, but I am not made of steel,” he added in a piece for The Telegraph.
The 40-year-old continued: “Last month’s Harry and Meghan interview resonated with me on so many levels, from a similar experience around the concern of a baby’s shade of colour to the devastation of laying to rest someone very close to my heart just three months ago, who had those same suicidal thoughts.
“Whilst appearing to be a royal problem, it felt so personal to me.”
Beresford went on to discuss the issue of “covert racism”, which he said is “much harder to prove”.
“Discussing racism is one of the most uncomfortable conversations to be had. For some people it must feel like tiptoeing around a minefield, trying not to put a foot wrong.
“For someone of colour, already racially battle weary, it can open all your old wounds. Your mind flashes back to all those previous incidents... only for someone to search for explanations or excuses to question your truth.”
Regarding how the Meghan and Harry interview has been discussed online, Beresford added that “social media has clearly had an impact on our ability to engage in open discourse and listen to opposing views”.
“In order to move the conversation on we will have to have those difficult conversations,” he said.
“Part of that process might just have to be agreeing to disagree.”
