Piers Morgan thinks it is "ridiculous" that Susanna Reid has been "accused" of flirting on ‘Good Morning Britain’.
The 50-year-old star – who is to begin his presenting role on the ITV show on Monday (23.11.15) – believes it can be difficult for his co-presenter when she’s constantly slated for being a "silly woman flirting" with the stars she interviews.
He said: "A bit of flirting of a morning on TV is good – it’s important to have some light and shade. But whereas I can happily flirt with a guest and it’ll be a case of ‘cheeky ol’ Piers’, it is used as a stick with which to beat Susanna.
"It completely demeans and diminishes her role to that of a silly woman flirting with David Beckham whereas the reality is she is a very accomplished broadcaster having a bit of fun with a national treasure.
"I watched her covering the Paris tragedy and she was as good, if not better than, anyone else I have seen covering it. So the ridiculous accusations of flirting are incredibly sexist."
And Piers believes his appointment will help the show improve their ratings against rival BBC Breakfast, which has almost three times the viewers.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Since the unfortunate demise of Jose Mourinho, there is now a vacancy for a new ‘Special One’ in Britain which I intend to fill. The ratings are on the up now, and although my slightly ebullient style might not be for everybody, Susanna and I do make a good team. She’s the good cop to my bad cop.
"The other advantage I’ve got is I’ve interviewed some of the biggest stars in the world. So when the Americans come over – whether it’s Oprah Winfrey or George Clooney or Morgan Freeman, if they’re in town I’ve got a reasonable shot of getting them on the show."
Piers Morgan blasts Susanna Reid flirting allegations
