Simone Biles, Piers Morgan and Ben Stokes
(Picture: Frazer Harrison, Laurence Griffiths and Stu Forster/Getty Images)Former Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan has been accused of “hypocrisy” online, over his stance on sports stars taking a break from competing to prioritise their mental health.
In a series of back-and-forth remarks akin to an Olympic tennis match, the broadcaster slammed gymnast Simone Biles for withdrawing from competitions in Tokyo to “focus on [her] wellbeing”, only to refuse to criticise cricketer Ben Stokes for doing the same thing when he announced an “indefinite” break from the sport.
Swapping Biles for bile, Morgan wrote in a MailOnline column on Wednesday: “When you call yourself the [Greatest Of All Time] in sport, you can’t then quit the moment things get tough or you make a mistake. Something I’m sure Simone Biles, in her heart, must realise because she’s a great champion and great champions just don’t do that.”
However, when one Twitter user asked the journalist for his stance on Stokes’ decision, he said he wouldn’t call it “’tremendously courageous’, ‘inspiring’ or ‘heroic’ as some are saying”.
“England will be weaker without him and I hope he’s back for the Ashes,” he added.
When another questioned if he would say to Stokes that “you have let down your team-mates, your fans and your country” – words used in the headline for his MailOnline piece, Morgan replied: “If he quit in the middle of a test match with no physical injury, leaving his teammates in the lurch like Simon Biles [sic] did, and complained he wasn’t having enough ‘fun’, then I would have said that.
“Especially if he had GOAT embroidered on his shirt.
“But he didn’t. So I didn’t.”
With the two comments contradicting each other, people were quick to accuse Morgan of “hypocrisy” and said he should support both sportspeople for their tough decision, not just Stokes:
Honestly you should replace Simone Biles with the sheer amount of mental gymnastics you needed to justify that. https://t.co/wcihbYijjD
— You're Mum (@UnbiasedUtd) July 31, 2021
What a fucking HYPOCRITE https://t.co/kE6B9GuJRy
— T-3-D-D-Y 🇵🇸 (@T3D7DY) July 31, 2021
What’s the difference here with anyone else ? if you have some guts you will treat him the same. If you had half the bottle all these amazing athletes have you will. #piersinapickle https://t.co/aUu3Z5pBNF
— Andrew 'Beef' Johnston (@BeefGolf) July 31, 2021
It is Simone mate. The girl protecting her 'mental wellbeing' the same as Stokes. Try and remember this when demonstrating your double standards.
— Ice Cream Man 🍦 (@teqekeeler) July 31, 2021
Simone Biles has a case of the "twisties", a psychological issue that robs gymnasts of their muscle memory needed to complete complex and dangerous routines. This has been known to cause life-changing injuries when ignored, hence Biles' decision. But Piers knows best.
— Anton Chiron (@AntrimChicane) July 31, 2021
Kindness, Piers. Try it.
— Simon McCoy (@SimonMcCoyTV) July 31, 2021
Why are physical injuries more “acceptable” than mental ones?If you are injured, you are injured. The nature of the injury should not matter.
— Annie Scott (@anniescott42) July 31, 2021
Then there’s the fact that he once famously walked away when things were getting tough:
Quitting in the middle of doing your job is letting down your team mates? 😏 pic.twitter.com/US0r6U6ABb
— Anita Kirkbright (@anitakirkbright) July 31, 2021
Quitting in the middle of doing his job, with no physical injury, leaving his team mates in the lurch you say? pic.twitter.com/0GEp1r11Mh
— Rob Smith (@robsmith115) July 31, 2021
And the unfortunate typo, ‘Simon Biles’ – who’s probably Simone’s “long-lost brother”:
Simon, the lesser known brother of Simone.
— Dave (@davey0511) July 31, 2021
It's Simone actually as I know you like to be accurate
— Grant Biddle (@BiddleGrant) July 31, 2021
Simone* Biles, Piers. Get it correct as you correct all others on their spelling!
— Josh HR (@OfficialJoshHR) July 31, 2021
It’s ‘Simone’
— Snotty Villan 💜💙 (@NoseySurgeon) July 31, 2021
We await the day when Morgan becomes a decorated sports star to truly understand the pressure they come under.
