Good Morning Britain star Alex Beresford has revealed he’s quit ITV West Country after 17 years hosting the weather
In a statement, the presenter, 41, said he’s had ‘an amazing time’ working with the local team, and received tributes from many of his co-stars including Bob Crampton.
He will continue to be a part of the GMB presenting line-up and is also a co-host on All Around the World with Ria Hebden.
It comes after Alex was embroiled in a row with his GMB co-star Piers Morgan last year over Meghan Markle, which led the broadcaster to walk off set, and later quit the show.
Departing: Good Morning Britain star Alex Beresford has revealed he’s quit ITV West Country after 17 years hosting the weather
In a statement, Alex said: ‘It’s been over a decade since I’ve been working across the region and it’s been the most amazing time,
‘It’s been a special part of my life and I’m going to miss it. I’m a Bristol boy through and through.’
Among Alex’s ITV West Country colleagues to pay tribute was veteran presenter Bob, who said: ‘He gets on with people you meet in the street and gets on with people when you’re outside doing a live. Good luck Alex, I know you’re going to do particularly well.’
Coming soon: It was also announced that Alex will star in the upcoming All-Stars Musicals this spring, alongside Jacqueline Jossa and Michaela Strachan
Blast from the past: Alex has hosted the weather on ITV West Country since 2005 (pictured on the show)
Exit! The presenter, who regularly appears on GMB and was embroiled in an infamous row with Piers Morgan (pictured) last year, said he’s had ‘an amazing time’ working with the team
It was also announced that Alex will star in the upcoming All-Stars Musicals this spring, alongside Jacqueline Jossa, Michaela Strachan, Lisa George, Colin Salmon and Danny Care.
Speaking about the role he said: ‘There’s a fine line between panic and excitement, but I can’t wait to challenge myself and feel the thrill of performing a musical number in front of a crowd. The acoustics in my shower are very sympathetic.’
Alex has been a regular star on GMB since 2014, when he started as a weather presenter, but more recently has taken on the role of host.
He infamously got into an on-air spat with Piers Morgan back in March over Meghan Markle, following her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Piers quit the show after claiming he didn’t ‘believe a word’ Meghan Markle said during her Oprah Winfrey interview, first broadcast on CBS on March 7, leading to a tense exchange with co-star Alex Beresford.
Statement: Alex worked on ITV West Country for 17 years and has been a regular on GMB since 2014, when he started as a weather presenter, but more recently has taken on a hosting role
It later emerged that Meghan also made a formal complaint to Ofcom about the TV host after he dismissed her account of suffering suicidal thoughts and experiencing racism at the hands of the Royal Family.
The media regulator cleared ITV and Piers after receiving a record 58,000 complaints on the back of his comments about Meghan the morning after her interview with Oprah was broadcast in the UK.
Piers walked off set after a fierce debate with Alex, in which the weather presenter accused Piers of unfairly ‘trashing’ Meghan, and branded him ‘diabolical’.
When Piers walked off screen, Alex continued: ‘I’m sorry but Piers just spouts off on a regular basis and we have to sit there and listen.’
At odds: He infamously got into an on-air spat with Piers Morgan back in March over Meghan Markle, following her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey
Piers, who refused to apologise, later announced his resignation and tweeted his thanks to the GMB team, praising them for their ‘hard work and dedication’ that led to them beating their main breakfast TV rival.
It was reported on Sunday that Piers has exacted revenge on ITV by poaching some of the channel’s top staff for his new show on TalkTV.
The newspaper-editor-turned-TV-presenter has raided his former employer and taken six of its production staff, including GMB’s longtime director.
A source jubilantly told The Mail On Sunday: ‘We’ve nicked all the best people.’
Piers is to be reunited with at least half a dozen of his former colleagues on his show on Rupert Murdoch’s new TalkTV network.
Raging: Piers walked off set after a fierce debate with Alex, in which the weather presenter accused Piers of unfairly ‘trashing’ Meghan, and branded him ‘diabolical’
Erron Gordon, GMB’s director since its launch in April 2014, was the first to jump ship and will join Morgan’s daily show as executive creative director and head of studio output.
Ollie Gardner, a director on the ITV chat show Loose Women and previously part of the GMB team, will become deputy head of studio output, and GMB’s assistant editor Ben Briscoe has left to be series editor of News UK’s television programmes.
Vivek Sharma, who worked across ITV’s daytime schedule for eight years, including as deputy editor of GMB, has been appointed executive producer of TalkTV; and Tim Carr, the floor manager on This Morning for 25 years, has quit to team up with Morgan. TalkTV has also hired former ITV daytime producer Lindsey Bowers.
An ITV source said: ‘There is a 500-strong team working across daytime and of them it is around five who have moved on.
‘We’ve held on to the great majority of those that we have actually really wanted to keep.’
Last laugh! It was reported on Sunday that Piers has exacted revenge on ITV by poaching some of the channel’s top staff for his new show on TalkTV
