Alex Beresford Says He's Faced 'Relentless Racism' After Defending Meghan Markle

Good Morning Britain presenter Alex Beresford says hes faced an onslaught of racist online abuse after defending Meghan Markle in a debate with his former co-host Piers Morgan last month.

In an essay published in The Telegraph on Wednesday, Beresford said he was forced to step away from Twitter and Facebook after being subjected to relentless racism over the tense exchange.

I am a strong person, but I am not made of steel, the weather presenter wrote.

In a discussion about Markle and Prince Harry s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired on March 7, Beresford pushed back after Morgan dismissed the Duchess of Sussexs experiences with racism.

Morgan, a staunch critic of the duchess, also cast doubt on the details surrounding her revelation to Winfrey that she had contemplated suicide during her time as a working royal.

Beresford, who was born to a white mother and a Black father, attempted to explain to Morgan how Markles experience with racism had resonated with him, but to no avail. The conversation grew tenser as Beresford called Morgan out for his longtime preoccupation with the duchess.

I understand you dont like Meghan Markle; youve made it so clear a number of times on this program a number of times. And I understand that youve got a personal relationship with Meghan Markle, or had one, and she cut you off, Beresford said. Shes entitled to cut you off if she wants to. Has she said anything about you since she cut you off? I dont think she has, but yet you continue to trash her.

After that comment, Morgan abruptly stormed off the set. He quit the show later in the day.

Piers Morgan just walked off the Good Morning Britain set (!!!) after co-presenter Alex Beresford defended Harry and Meghan and condemned Piers' treatment of them in yesterday's programming pic.twitter.com/mH75J8ND4O

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Piers Morgan just walked off the Good Morning Britain set (!!!) after co-presenter Alex Beresford defended Harry and Meghan and condemned Piers' treatment of them in yesterday's programming pic.twitter.com/mH75J8ND4O
Chris Rickett (@chrisrickett) March 9, 2021

Elsewhere in his essay, Beresford discussed his experience of dealing with racism as a child and criticized a recent government-commissioned report in Britain that claimed that despite the existence of overt racism, the country is no longer institutionally racist .

That may be what the Government wants to believe, but it does a disservice to this country, Beresford wrote. If we acknowledge there is racism in Britain as the report does then we have to acknowledge it will find its way into institutions.

Not all racism is caught on camera. Not all racism is a Black man lying on the ground with a knee on his neck, Beresford later added, referencing the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year.

Beresford recalled once walking on a packed beach as a child with his mom and younger brother and hearing comments from sunbathers who were presumably making racist remarks about them.

Comments were made, we all came to a halt and Mum said lovingly: Boys, do you know why all these people are lying down half naked in the sun? Its because they want to look like you, he wrote. I remember everyones heads started to drop like dominos as the weight of embarrassment pulled them back into their towels.

Discussing social media Twitter commenters have told him to leave the U.K. for America and to stick to reporting on the weather Beresford said the platforms are just a reflection of a bigger problem in society. He also charged that the recent British government report on race gave social media racists the comfort to push a little bit further as they hide in plain sight.

After Morgans departure, Beresford published a statement on Twitter saying that he had hoped for a different outcome and for the two to have reached a place of understanding.

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Its sad that we werent able to get there, but challenging his opinion was not an outrage.

From me pic.twitter.com/n0VPkoKGeK

Alex Beresford (@alexberesfordTV) March 11, 2021","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Alex Beresford","author_url":"https://twitter.com/alexberesfordTV","cache_age":86400,"description":"From me pic.twitter.com/n0VPkoKGeK Alex Beresford (@alexberesfordTV) March 11, 2021\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":1941,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EwNDsoEWgAM3Ji6.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1125,"title":"Alex Beresford on 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From me pic.twitter.com/n0VPkoKGeK
Alex Beresford (@alexberesfordTV) March 11, 2021

Read Beresfords entire essay at The Telegraph here .