Kate Garraway was keen to praise her former Good Morning Britain co-star Piers Morgan as she hosted the show on Thursday.
The mum-of-two sat alongside Ben Shephard on the ITV breakfast programme as they joked it's been a "bit of a boring old week".
Ben began: "Not a lot gong on. Obviously there’s been a lot of headlines this week centred around this programme, centred around one of our colleagues, Piers."
Referring to Piers leaving GMB, he said to Kate: "You were friends with him before? And I know he’s been very supportive to you and the family with everything you're going through with Derek."
Kate said of the 55-year-old: "That's the thing about Piers, he is very passionate, he does fly kites and have debates but it always come from a place of authenticity, he always believes in what he says.
"And he's left, he's decided to quit and has he put it himself, 'fallen on his sword of free speech', but as you rightly say, I've known him a long time before this programme, our friendship will go on, our personal friendship, and he's been very supportive of me personally.
"But year, it’s a different show but the show goes on."
The pair were then joined Dr Hilary Jones, who also praised Piers following his abrupt exit from GMB.
"He supported the NHS and he championed the fact that they were under the cosh, he offered to pay their parking fines, and he did.
"He had a very generous heart," Hilary added, as Kate butted in: "He still has Hilary! He’s still here, he's just not in the studio."
It was announced by ITV on Tuesday that Piers had decided to leave his presenting role at GMB, and just hours earlier he had stormed off the set as co-star Alex Beresford challenged him on his comments about Meghan Markle.
However, when he was spotted out and about in London on Wednesday, Piers stood by his opinion of Meghan and her explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Speaking outside his London home this morning, he said: "I had a good chat with ITV and we agreed to disagree.
"I'm just going to take it easy and see how we go.
"I believe in freedom of speech, I believe in the right to be allowed to have an opinion. If people want to believe Meghan Markle, that's entirely their right.
"I don't believe almost anything that comes out of her mouth and I think the damage she's done to the British monarchy and to the Queen at a time when Prince Philip is lying in hospital is enormous and frankly contemptible."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
