Piers Morgan has revealed he secretly QUIT Good Morning Britain last year, only to be lured back by a better offer.
The journalist told Radio Times he resigned because the horribly early starts each morning were just too difficult to handle.
But bosses persuaded him to stay by changing the time he’s needed at the studio.
Piers, 52, explained: “I actually quit in the summer. I said, ‘I’m out,’ because I couldn’t do it any more. Then we came to a new arrangement, which is great.”
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According to reports, the TV star was previously asked to be in work for 4am, giving him two hours until GMB starts broadcasting at 6am.
But under his new deal, he only has to arrive at the TV studios at 5.30am.
His co-host Susanna Reid, however, still clocks in at 4am although Piers said that’s largely because she requires longer in hair and make-up than he does.
“The only reason, really, I had to go in so early was because the female stars all have to. It takes them longer because they get more attention and pressure on how they look, how their hair is and everything else,” said Piers.
“I’m lucky – five minutes of slap and on I go.”
In a separate interview with the new issue of OK! magazine, Piers confirmed he has “threatened to quit a couple of times” and readily admitted: “I can be a bit of a prima donna.”
“I was coming it at 4am and it was killing me, but now they let me come in at 5.30am. I get more time off,” he said.”
“GMB seems to be successful so I said, ‘Can you have me a little less, which might be quite popular,’ and they were prepared to do that, so I was happy to stay.”
On Tuesday’s episode of Good Morning Britain, the whole subject of Piers ‘quitting’ was brought up.
Charlotte Hawkins held up a newspaper with the headline, “Piers Morgan: I quit GMB as I had to get up too early”, and quipped: “Kind of in the job description for a breakfast presenter, isn’t it?”
Susanna chipped in: “And yet here you are!”
Piers explained: “I was getting up at 3.45am, decided I hated it. It was killing me. I said, I’m out. And suddenly I’m coming in at 5.30am and I’m a lot happier, thanks!”
Susanna then said she couldn’t understand when Piers had ‘quit’ the show.
He replied: “I didn’t know how to tell you! I knew how upset you’d be! I couldn’t do it to you. I looked into your little puppy eyes and said, I couldn’t do it to you!”
Perhaps it’s no surprise to hear Piers threatened to quit, however, as he said last year the working hours on GMB were “killing” him.
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He told Digital Spy: “It’s really worrying me. It’s killing me. This is the least healthy existence imaginable. You pick up every bug imaginable.
“I’ve basically been ill for the last 18 months. The actual show itself is the only good part about this job. My body is screaming in pain at the moment.”
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