Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan has admitted he flew to the Caribbean island of Antigua for Christmas — against government COVID-19 rules.
Former Daily Mirror and News of the World editor Morgan finally confirmed his trip in a Twitter message on Sunday to political gossip site Guido Fawkes — which published the allegation early this week based on a tip-off that he took a two-week holiday on the exclusive private Jumby Island resort.
Morgan was unapologetic, claiming that government rules allowed overseas air travel if passengers went straight to the airport even if they lived in an area under Tier 3 restrictions, as his was.
On Saturday Morgan tweeted praise for Antigua's response to the pandemic.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 9, 2021
But the Foreign Office declared travel to the island nation of Antigua and Barbuda “restricted" on December 18, while the Department of Health said: “Government guidance is that people should not be going on foreign holidays if they live in Tier 3.”
Suspicions were raised when the normally-vociferous Morgan went silent on social media for two weeks over the Festive season.
Morgan's media sparring-partner, businessman Sir Alan Sugar, had also tweeted the allegation.
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) January 6, 2021
Morgan has repeatedly taken to Twitter to denounce "covidiots" who question government advice and rules during the coronavirus pandemic.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 30, 2020
He used the December 16 edition of his current affairs show to call for even tougher restrictions , while in November he told fellow Britons to be content with "virtual" church services and Christmas dinners in an expletive-strewn tweet.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) November 19, 2020
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government heeded calls for harsher measures, cutting the announced five-day "grace period" for families to spend Christmas together to just Christmas Day. Measures have since been escalated to a third nationwide lockdown set to last at least seven weeks.
