Piers Morgan has got into another Twitter spat with his breakfast TV rival Dan Walker over their latest viewing figures.
The Good Morning Britain presenter shared his delight this week at GMB’s audience share improving, teasing his BBC Breakfast rival over their loss being ITV’s gain.
“BREAKING: Last week, Good Morning Britain had its highest audience share since the show started 4yrs ago. Thanks for watching! (Anyone got a lifeboat for @mrdanwalker… @GMB,” he wrote.
He added alongside a pic of champagne glasses clinking: “So it would appear that since @mrdanwalker joined @BBCBreakfast, @GMB has grown its share of the audience by 7%. Where can I send the champagne, mate?”
He then tweeted stats which claim his ITV show’s ratings have gone up since Dan joined BBC Breakfast.
He wrote above a picture of him laughing with co-host Susanna Reid: “So… @mrdanwalker joined @BBCBreakfast on Feb 29, 2016.
“Their ratings that day were 1.63m, 40% share. GMB ratings that day were 578k, 15% share. The @BBCBreakfast ratings for last Monday were 1.5m, 40% share. GMB ratings that day were 802k, 22% share.
“Thanks, Dan!!!!!!!!!!!”
However, some Twitter users pointed out Piers, 53, didn’t really have anything to gloat about as GMB’s viewing figures still trail behind the BBC, who maintain a 40 percent share of the audience, despite Piers saying they’ve lost some viewers.
“So BBC is still far more popular than GMB,” one told Piers.
“BBC has double your @GMB audience – majority of your viewers only tune in for Susanna and the rest of the team, only a small minority watch when you’re on. Figures that show @mrdanwalker is more popular than yourself. The “success story” that is GMB? Nope that’s @BBCBreakfast,” said another.
Dan also pointed this out, quoting a comment Piers had once made about sport: “I’ll keep it simple… WE GET DOUBLE THE AUDIENCE ‘Just can’t get excited by silver and bronze medals. You win or you lose. Gold is all that matters,’ Piers Morgan, August 2016 #TearsForPiers Thanks for watching.”
But Piers said Dan was running scared.
“Mate, we’re closing in like a pride of ravenous lions stalking a delicate, dreary, deluded antelope. You know it, we know it, the whole industry knows it. Prepare to be eaten alive, ratings limb by ratings limb,” he told him.
He then called on his followers to tell him if they’d switched over from the BBC to watch him instead on GMB, claiming their rival’s coverage is “dreary”.
Piers’ tweet led Dan, 41, to hit back: “Hands up if this guff is tedious? You’re closer to ‘Paw Patrol’ than you are to us.”
Sports presenter Jake Humphrey then chipped in to say neither party should get carried away with their viewing figures, which are low in comparison to many a video that’s gone viral.
Read more: GMB viewers blast ‘rude’ Piers Morgan for interrupting Manchester bombing coverage
“All very good. You both do well, but let’s not get carried away boys. After all, 2m people watch you both each day…I’ve just seen a video online of kids dressed up as transformers. It has 3m views,” he wrote.
Piers then hit back: “Mate, you work for @btsport – do you even know what ratings are?”
This led Piers to fall back on figures where he knew he was king – his Twitter followers.
He wrote: “My current Twitter following: 6,527,206. And ‘Mr Popular’ @mrdanwalker’s: 506,352.”
To this, Dan replied: “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small package.”
Piers retorted: “Mate, the only person in the world who tweets more about me than me… is you!”
The pair’s banter comes ahead of them teeing off against one another in a golf tournament this afternoon.
Piers wasn’t on GMB this morning as he travelled to the event at Wentworth in Surrey.
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Other celebs taking part include popstars Niall Horan, Ronan Keating and Brian McFadden, Downton Abbey’s Matthew Goode and former footballer Jamie Redknapp.
One fan told Piers it would be one battle he won’t win against his breakfast rival.
“Fortunately Dan Walker will beat you at golf, he is a much better player. I’ve seen your swing.” they told him.
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