Advertisement

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Interview: ‘Trash-a-thon,’ ‘Bomb,’ ‘Terrible State’ Among U.K. Reactions

Naman Ramachandran
·3 min read

The U.K. woke up on Monday morning to news of the explosive Meghan Markle and Prince Harry interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired in the U.S. Sunday evening on CBS.

“I’m angry to the point of boiling over. I’m sickened by what I’ve just seen. This is a two-hour trash-a-thon of our monarchy and royal family,” said outspoken presenter Piers Morgan on ITV’s “Good Morning Britain.”

More from Variety

“They trash everybody,” Morgan added. “They basically make out everybody in the royal family is a white supremacist. I just don’t think that’s acceptable.”

During the interview, which hasn’t yet aired in the U.K., Markle revealed that she had felt suicidal, and that Harry had conveyed to her concerns by a family member about the skin color of their then unborn son Archie, while Harry said that he was hurt there was no support from his family over the racism Markle faced from the media. In an unaired clip later broadcast on CBS This Morning on Monday, Harry admitted that racism played a “large part” in driving him away from the U.K.

Morgan’s co-presenter Susanna Reid said: “Anyone who said they felt suicidal and didn’t want to be alive anymore, you have to feel sympathy.”

Several people have reported Morgan, Reid and “Good Morning Britain” to U.K. media regulator Ofcom, and provided a link to the body’s complaints page.

“I asked myself how many explosive stories could Harry and Meghan actually drop in that time,” said ITV Royal correspondent Chris Ship, writing for the ITV website. “Well, when the show was over, it dawned on me that the couple had effectively loaded up a B-52 bomber, flew it over Buckingham Palace and then unloaded their arsenal right above it, bomb by heavily-loaded bomb.”

“We now have a much greater understanding of just what a terrible state they’re in,” said Royah Nikkah, The Sunday Times Royal correspondent, on the BBC’s “Breakfast” show.

U.K. broadsheet The Telegraph led with the interview on the front page.

“Harry and Meghan embody the woke generation,” read The Telegraph’s headline, above the newspaper’s masthead.

The Guardian chose to run with the story as a front page anchor, focusing on how the interview would boost ratings for broadcasters.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., CBS News Royal contributor Tina Brown described the effect of the interview on the Royal family’s equation with the couple as “kryptonite.”

“This is a hand grenade that has been thrown into the heart of the institution,” Brown told “CBS This Morning.” “It’s immensely damaging and I really think it’s extremely hard for them to refute a lot of the things that they said.”

Tennis champion Serena Williams tweeted about her friend Markle: “She teaches me every day what it means to be truly noble. Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she’s experienced.”

The interview will be aired 9 p.m. U.K. time Monday on ITV.

This story will be updated with more responses to the interview throughout the day.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.