Piers Morgan left co-host Susanna Reid red-faced during Monday’s Good Morning Britain, when he teased her for wearing a ‘phallic’ face mask.
The TV personality, 55, was in the midst of apologising for flouting COVID-19 rules by getting into a taxi without a face mask on over the weekend when he made the cheeky quip about 49-year-old Susanna’s choice of face covering.
As he discussed his rule break, Piers pulled on a mask emblazoned with the words Take Up – the title of his book – while Susanna, who has been nicknamed ‘Shouty’, donned a pink mask featuring a finger raised to a red lips.
Banter: Piers Morgan left co-host Susanna Reid red-faced during Monday’s Good Morning Britain, when he teased her for wearing a ‘phallic’ face mask
Turning to look at his co-host’s choice of mask, Piers quipped: ‘I don’t think you should be wearing that. That looks a little phallic to me.’
Protesting the innocence of the graphic, Susanna insisted: ‘It’s a finger!’
The discussion then refocused on Piers’ apology for getting into a taxi without his face mask on over the weekend, which happened after he’d dined at a London restaurant with wife Celia Walden and their friends.
Susanna and resident medic Dr. Hilary Jones appeared onscreen wearing face masks, prompting Piers to admit: ‘That’s what I should have done on Saturday night.’
Face mask: Susanna, who has been nicknamed ‘Shouty’, pulled on a pink mask featuring a finger raised to a red lips at the start of the popular ITV show
Explaining how his gaffe came about, Piers said: ‘Came out of a very nice dinner in Mayfair with my wife… If only she’d reminded me to put mine on.
‘I had a friendly chat with the paparazzi, [they said] “It’s been a rough year we’re not making money, there are no parties, there’s no launches, very few celebrities about”. I went, “Sorry guys, it’s only me”. We all laughed…
‘And then, of course, I bounded into the taxi having been distracted with my conversation with the paparazzi and they immediately descended like a pack.
‘Lit up the cab with flash bulbs and it was only as I pulled away, that I realised I forgot to put my mask on and therefore designated myself as a Covidiot.’
Sorry: The TV host was in the midst of apologising for flouting COVID-19 rules by getting into a taxi without a face mask after dining with wife Celia Walden on Saturday. Pictured in 2018
He continued: ‘Celia went, “Oh, it doesn’t matter, no one cares”. No one cares. Well, they do actually… No excuses, it’s a fair cop, gov… I put it on a few seconds later, I was nailed, it was too late and I can only apologise.’
After joking with Susanna about her face mask, he added: ‘On a serious note, I do think masks matter and I do think you’ve got to abide by the rules.
‘I got caught getting into a cab without one, it’s not a good look and I apologise.’
Dr. Hilary Jones chimed in: ‘You didn’t do it deliberately, that’s the difference, you did it completely by mistake.
Gaffe: The discussion then refocused on Piers’ apology for getting into a taxi without his face mask on over the weekend, which happened after he’d dined at a London restaurant
‘Anyone can make a mistake occasionally for a few seconds. What’s different is you do it deliberately and flout the rules,.’
However, Piers went on to admit: ‘I’ve got to say, it’s not my first offence forgetting to put my mask on.
‘I probably forget once a week when I’m walking into a shop, or getting in a cab and then I remember and the critical thing is to keep thinking that you’ve got to remember and you’ve got to do it. I bet most people have.’
Agreeing with his statement, Susanna said: ‘Oh, of course everybody has. I think the key thing for me is to have one in every coat pocket you have.’
Oops: Piers recalled that after speaking with paparazzi outside the restaurant he got into a taxi but ‘forgot to put my mask on and therefore designated myself as a Covidiot’