Piers Morgan Mocks the Chinese Language on Live TV

The 54-year-old ITV presenter was discussing Megan Markle and Prince Harry’s decision to leave the royal family, and if they would follow the son of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, Peter Phillips, who starred in the Chinese ad for milk, Metro reported.

Morgan then mocked the voiceover in the ad, saying, “I don’t know the Chinese for ‘I only drink…’ What’s it called? Ching chang cho jo.”

Susanna Reid was shocked when her co-host began making incoherent noises, telling Morgan, “You can’t say [that]… taking the mickey out of foreign languages is rather 1970s.”

Morgan argued that he can’t repeat what the ad was saying because he doesn’t speak any Chinese.

He was apparently imitating the Chinese brand’s name, which is Guangming Dairy, according to ITV.

“Are people going to be more annoyed about me trying to mimic the Chinese State milk ad, than they are about a member of the Royal family trying to flog Chinese State milk?” Morgan argued.

Reid responded: “Yes, Piers, do you not realize the kind of woke times we’re living in?”

John Barnes, a former Liverpool and England footballer, was one of the first to criticize Morgan on Twitter:

To which Morgan replied:

Viewers took offense with the host’s mockery of the Chinese ad, with some accusing him of racism:

Others came to Morgan’s defense: