Piers Morgan has clashed with a member of animal rights advocacy group PETA after the charity called for people to stop using the word "pet".
PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has suggested people should use the word "companion", because the term pet is "derogatory".
A page on its site also states: "Animal protection organisations such as PETA prefer the term ‘companion animal’ as it more accurately describes the ideal relationship between humans and animals."
This Morning, Jennifer White, a senior media officer at PETA, appeared on Good Morning Britain where she was grilled by Mr Morgan over the point.
She told him: "We don't hate the word pet - we're encouraging people to use a better one."
Mr Morgan then asked if PETA would change its name, due to having the letters of the word pet in it.
Co-host Susanna Reid said the charity's name was not linked to the word pet and that it was an acronym for the organisation's full name.
But Mr Morgan shouted: "You're literally telling people not to use the word pet."
Ms White then responded: "No we're not, we're suggesting people could use the word companion."
During the interview, she added: "A lot of people at home who have dogs and cats refer to them as pets and they refer to themselves as owners, and this implies that the animals are a possession."
But Mr Morgan interrupted: "Oh for God’s sake, you don’t even believe this guff."
The row sparked debate on social media, with many defending Ms White after she was shouted down by Mr Morgan.
Some said that, while they might not agree with the stance on the word pet, they were not impressed with the way the argument panned out.
"Her views might be silly but there was no need to treat her like that," one viewer wrote.
However, some said the idea of not using the word pet was "ludicrous".
One wrote: "I'm all for animal welfare but groups like PETA take things to far (sic)."
