Piers Morgan has defiantly hit back at people who have hit out at the fact that he and his Good Morning colleagues were still on air following Boris Johnson's lockdown announcement on Monday night.
After scenes from the weekend of families and friends flocking to parks and beaches across the country, the Prime Minister made a statement to the country at 8.30pm in which he told millions watching at home of the rules they would need to abide by during lockdown.
These are the reasons you're now allowed to go out are:
- To shop for necessities (food and medication) - but this should be done "as infrequently as possible".
- Once a day you can go out for exercise - for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with people you live with.
- For a medical need, eg to go to hospital.
- To provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
- Travelling to and from work, but only where this is "absolutely necessary" and cannot be done from home.
Following the PM's address, Piers issued a powerful lockdown plea to the nation on Twitter, but that post and others on Tuesday morning were picked up on by critics who it out at the fact GMB would still be on air and its staff exempt from lockdown rules.
One angry follower responded: "so why are you still going into the studio every day?" and another reacted: "Non essential work so you stay in your home Mr Morgan...your show is not essential."
A third ranted: "GMB should shut down immediately, you should all be in isolation as well - practice what you preach. You do not have an essential job, go home and shut up."
However, blasting critics on air on Tuesday, Piers argued, "We are key workers. Shows like ours are bringing information to the people," using the example of Michael Gove's on air error about split parent families on GMB, before issuing an apology after Piers and others demanded clarification.
Many of Piers' followers agreed with him, with one tweeting a critic to say: "He’s counted as a key worker you moron what part of that aren’t you getting."
