Susanna Reid has insisted Piers Morgan is still a "really important person" in her life.
Piers Morgan is still important to Susanna Reid
The presenters' 'Good Morning Britain' partnership ended a year ago when Piers left the show following a row over comments he'd made about Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, but the pair have remained good friends and Susanna thinks her pal played a huge part in making the show what it is today.
She told Fabulous magazine: "We stay in touch and he’s a really important person in my life. We had such an amazing time and that was an incredible dynamic.
"He really put his imprint on the programme and it was very powerful. I remember early on, the rows about the role of women and feminism, and those arguments felt like the big issue at the time, and then, of course, we moved on to Brexit and Trump.
“We went through some really difficult times together as a team and those were very powerful moments. And when it came to the lockdown, the pandemic and holding the government to account, he was just unrivalled at holding their feet to the fire, but then it ended. All presenting gigs come to an end at some point, don’t they? As they will for all of us. He’s a friend of mine and that won’t change.”
And the 51-year-old star thinks Piers has been an "influence" on her own work.
She explained: "I think it’s definitely the case [that I learnt from him]. Yes, I do feel that I am thicker skinned, more resilient, bolder, but with sensitivity.
“You grow as a presenter and whatever job you’re doing, and whoever you’re working with, you’ll probably pick up some of their things but also develop your own skills as well. You’re constantly looking around at the way that other people are doing interviews. Piers is one of the influences on the way that I operate, but there are many influences."
Susanna thinks she has a huge "responsibility" as a female presenter and there are many other women on television that she thinks are impressive.
She said: “I do reflect on my responsibility as a woman on screen, and being strong but also embracing your femininity. When you’re in television news, you want to make television that matters.
"For a female presenter, that’s one of those things – that you can be strong enough and do the tough interviews.
"I was watching [BBC journalist] Sophie Raworth with the prime minister, being firm and pressing and not taking any of his deflection, just politely pressing on and showing her strength.
"And I was talking to a friend about Emily Maitlis’ interview with Prince Andrew, which is absolutely iconic in making news that mattered. There’s also Fiona Bruce who is on Question Time.
“Currently we have Kate [Garraway], who is playing the role of a carer as well as a loving wife in the toughest of circumstances, and reflecting the experience of huge numbers of women – and men –over the course of Covid. There are many topics that are being discussed in a way that didn’t used to be.”
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