ALEX Beresford reveals the heartbreaking reasons why he was so invested in the Meghan Markle debate with Piers Morgan.
The weatherman, 40, sensationally clashed with the former presenter, 55, over his comments about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Alex Beresford clashed with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain
However, the argument between the two eventually led to Piers storming off set.
In the interview with Oprah, Meghan said she had suicidal thoughts, as well as “concerns and conversations” about “how dark” son Archie would be when he was born.
Alex has now revealed the reasons why he was so invested – as those particular comments hit very close to home.
Writing in The Telegraph, she said: “Last month’s Harry and Meghan interview resonated with me on so many levels, from a similar experience around the concern of a baby’s shade of colour to the devastation of laying to rest someone very close to my heart just three months ago, who had those same suicidal thoughts.
Piers walked off during the clash
Meghan Markle during her interview with Oprah Winfrey
“Whilst appearing to be a Royal problem, it felt so personal to me.”
He said the repercussions of the interview has “rippled through social classes and communities”.
But he says Meghan will go down in history as a “mixed race” princess in the British Royal Family felt like a fantasy when he was younger.
Though he conceded “you only need to visit the comments section” on articles to see society hasn’t “necessarily progressed as far as you’d hope”.
Alex said the comments about Meghan made him think of his own life as a mixed-race person from a council house in Bristol.
But he wants racism to be tackled in schools more head-on.
He added: “School was the place where differences became visible to me.
“As well as learning the two times table I also had to teach myself quickly about what prejudice meant.
“Managing the many forms of racism can start at the same time as learning to tie your shoelaces.”
Alex revealed he was asked by a former colleague “what shade of cocoa” his unborn child would be during a tense conversation with Piers Morgan.
After he returned to continue the strained conversation with Piers, Alex admitted he resonated with Meghan after she revealed there were alleged “concerns” from the Royal Family about her son Archie’s skin colour.
“I’ve walked into institutions as the only person of colour and experienced covert and overt racism in so many occasions,” said Alex.
“Why the Meghan interview really resonates with me is because an ex-work colleague – not off this show – asked me if I was worried the shade of cocoa my son was going to come out.
“So I fully understand the hurt that is behind all of that.
“When you’re mixed race what you find, in my personal experience, is that when you’re a lighter shade of black, people gain confidence and think they can say things to do that they wouldn’t say to a black person.”
Alex clashed with his co-star after he said he didn’t believe Meghan Markle’s claims in her bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, which included saying she had suicidal thoughts.
He criticised Piers for “trashing” the Duchess calling his behaviour “absolutely diabolical behaviour” as the star headed for the exit.
Piers told him: “Sorry, see you later. I can’t do this” before walking out.
He later claimed he was snubbed by Alex after he left, saying: “I’ve had nice messages from all the other GMB presenters, apart from Alex Beresford.”
Calling him “GMB’s occasional stand in weatherman” the star explained he was fuming a member of his own team had called him out on air saying he had “gone out of his way” to give Alex career advice.
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