Piers Morgan has promised to take a year off from his Good Morning Britain presenting duties if Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly win the National Television Award for best TV presenter at tonight’s ceremony.
The 53-year-old presenter hit out at McPartlin in another explosive rant, in which he argued that McPartlin should not be included as a nominee after taking a 10 month hiatus from TV work following a drink driving conviction and a stint in rehab.
If the Geordie duo walk away with the award tonight, it will mark their 17th consecutive NTA win.
Discussing the presenter’s awards nod, Morgan asked: “How did you get a nom? I’m sorry but how did that happen?”
He went on to concede that Donnelly had “put a shift in,” but suggested that he and his co-presenter Susanna Reid had been hard at work all year round, spending “hundreds of days at the coal face.”
“Imagine if Ant McPartlin actually wins tonight and we don’t – walking the dog for a year, television personality of the year,” he said.
“Me, coal face every morning hours on end, week after week – nothing.
“Imagine if you think it’s a reasonable way to conduct the award seasons business, seriously.”
Morgan then threatened to “take the day off every day and walk his dog” if McPartlin and Donnelly are victorious, adding: “I don’t even have a dog. I intend to do that if I can find a dog.”
He went on to suggest that the duo should be split up in future voting categories, telling viewers: “That would be funny.”
“Everyone would be like ‘we’re going to vote for the one that did all the work.”
Yesterday, Morgan threw his support behind McPartlin’s ex-wife Lisa Armstrong, describing the make-up artist as “a lovely lady” in a tweet.
He told his GMB co-presenters that he believed Armstrong would be “pretty hurt” by remarks from McPartlin’s recent interview with the Sun, in which the presenter described new partner Anne-Marie Corbett as “the fundamental reason” for his recovery.
Standard Online has contacted representatives for McPartlin for comment.
