Piers Morgan calls for Miriam Margolyes' OBE to be removed over Andi Peter's racism row response

Piers Morgan has slammed Miriam Margolyes as 'repulsive' following her comments about using a racial slur she used to describe TV host Andi Peters live on national television.

Margolyes, 85, sparked a serious backlash on Thursday, September 3, during an appearance on ITV's This Morning.

Despite going on the show to promote her new book, the conversation descended into an awkward exchange on heritage as she asked Peters, 56, about his parentage.

When the popular TV presenter informed Margolyes that both his parents were black, she expressed her surprise and used a historical racial slur to describe his skin tone.

When addressing her comments for the first time on Sunday, September 6, Margolyes said she didn't want to 'hurt' or 'embarrass' Peters, but stopped short of apologising and said she was 'fascinated' by other people.

Upon seeing her latest remarks, Piers Morgan took to social media on Monday to express his dismay and called for the actor to have her OBE honour removed.

"Good grief…" Morgan wrote on X.

"It’s time this repulsive ‘national treasure’ had her title removed."

What Peters and Margolyes have said about the racism row

Peters has largely not spoken out about the controversy he's found himself in the centre of, but he has made one comment on the incident.

He was replying to fellow broadcaster Jeremy Vine, who had posted the tense clip on Instagram and offered his own thoughts, writing: "This is seriously nerve-wracking.

"No filter. @andipeters dealt with it brilliantly but note at the end - "they're getting nervous" [the producers]."

Breaking his silence on the ordeal, Peters replied to the post, writing: "Thanks JV.

"As you know we have to be ready for ANYTHING!!!"

Margolyes was again out and about promoting her book on Sunday, September 6, and addressed her This Morning comments at an event in Southend.

"I didn't want to embarrass or hurt Andi because he seems very nice," she was heard saying in videos shared on social media by those in attendance.

"I'd never met him before; I didn't know who he was and I didn't know he was black until I saw him. When you see someone, of course, you know they're black.

"I wanted to know what he thought about it, because that's what interests me."

The Harry Potter star continued to dig a hole by saying: "How do black people feel? How do brown people feel? ... How do fat people feel?'

"You see what I mean? All of us feel something about who we are and how people see us, what they think of us.

She was asked if she wanted to 'discuss his identity' with Peters, and replied: "I am fascinated by other people.

"They are the people that interest me, not the celebrities so much. It's everybody. What their story is, what made them who they are, why you are the way you are."

What was said between Margolyes and Peters on This Morning

Margolyes was a guest on This Morning to plug her book, Miriam's Full English: A Grand Tour of All Our Best Bits, which released on the same day and "explores Britain's identity, examining fairness, free speech, and what unites Scotland, Wales, England, and Ireland," according to its description.

Towards the end of the interview, the conversation had moved on to accents and speaking in a Northern Irish brogue, Margolyes asked Peters: "What accent would be normal for you?"

Peters attempted to say he was already speaking in his 'normal' accent but Margolyes then asked: "What are you?"

A clearly taken aback Peters replied: "I'm me."

“Well, you’re a mix, aren’t you?" Margolyes said, and as Peters struggled to get his words out, she stormed on: "So you’ve got a black daddy and a white mummy.”

An exacerbated Peters cut in to say: "No, both my parents are black."

He then moved to diffuse the tension by speaking to the makeup department as he said: "What did you put on me? Am I a lighter shade than normal?"

Margolyes then used a racial slur considered to be dated and very offensive to describe Peters' skin tone.

Peters asked what the term meant, and Margolyes explained.

At this point, Peters again cracked a joke, putting his finger to his ear as if talking to the producers and saying: "They're getting nervous now. They're getting nervous now."

But an undeterred Margolyes continued: "Don't be nervous. We welcome everybody and that's what I want to write about in my book. It's about inclusion.

"Not that there are people who need to be pushed out. And I'm not going to say who they are.

"You've got to read the book to find out.”

Peters managed to maintain a jovial atmosphere, concluding with: "There we go! What a way to... and that’s how we will end this. On a short plug for the book.”

ITV subsequently removed the exchange from reruns of the programme on streaming service ITVX.

LADbible Group previously approached representatives of Miriam Margolyes and ITV for comment.