Susanna Reid defends Meghan Markle following Piers Morgan’s criticism of her new book

Susanna Reid shared her thoughts on Meghan Markle's children's book on today's Good Morning Britain

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Susanna Reid seen at the ITV Studios on February 04, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by HGL/GC Images)
(Image credit: HGL/GC Images)

Susanna Reid has defended Meghan Markle's decision to write a children's book, just hours after Piers Morgan published a scathing criticism of the highly-publicized launch. 

The Good Morning Britain presenter shared her take on the Duchess of Sussex's writing endeavors on today's episode of the ITV breakfast show, offering a very different perspective to that of her former colleague. 

Meghan's book, entitled The Bench, doesn't hit shelves until June 8—but it's already causing some serious conversational flurry. The story is inspired by Meghan's own experience as a parent, detailing the special bond between a father and son through the lens of a mother. 


Read more from woman&home:  
• Best book club books that get conversation (and wine) flowing
• Best Kindle covers to keep your eReader protected in style
• Best romance books to read whether you're after love or lust

Susanna expressed her opinion on the launch after co-host Adil Ray praised Meghan's choice to challenge common stereotypes of children's books. 

"I think it's great, it's fantastic," he said. "A great idea about the father and son relationship. Often when we think about children’s books we think about the mother and daughter in these times is quite interesting." 

Adil buckled down on his commendation of the book, before questioning people's motives for criticizing it. 

"I think it’s clearly going to be personal because it’ll be her relationship with her own son and Harry," he said. "I think it’s fantastic, it’s positive. It’s a great thing and I hope it does very well. What’s more to say about it, why would you knock it?’ 

Susanna shared her stance on the issue at this moment, adding, "Absolutely right." 

Her short response didn't go unnoticed though. Ben Shepherd quickly jumped in, calling out his co-host's strange reaction. 

"You’re sort of flabbergasted to have someone alongside you who’s giving praise of Meghan Markle’s book," he said. "You’re speechless aren’t you Susanna?" 

This positive reaction to the news stands in stark contrast to the words of Piers Morgan in his Daily Mail column yesterday. The former Good Morning Britain presenter penned a damning critique of Meghan Markle's book release in the tabloid newspaper, slamming it as 'ludicrously inappropriate.' He also took aim at the duchess's relationship with her own family, condemning her decision not to reconcile with her father, Thomas Markle.  

"If she really cared about father-child relationships, she'd take a chauffeur-driven limousine on the hour-long trip to see her own father who's never even met either Harry or Archie," he wrote. 

The controversial broadcaster also accused Meghan of exploiting her royal titles 'because she knows that's the only reason anyone is paying her vast sums of money to spew her uniquely unctuous brand of pious hectoring gibberish in Netflix documentaries, Spotify podcasts or children's books.' 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.


Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.