Piers Pressure

It's not a particularly original observation to point out what a revolting pissbrain Piers Morgan is, the man who was sacked for publishing faked army abuse photos in the Mirror and who has somehow kept his gollum-like talons on the throat of showbiz through various talent shows and now a chat show where he pedals a tabloid-inspired agenda to his guests.

Yet last week his interview with Ronnie Corbett, one of my all-time favourite comedians, was a new low even by Morgan's standards. He spent a whole 15 minute section on one point: Corbett never says 'I love to' to his wife, and instead they display their affection through actions not words. It's clearly a very personal and special way of communicating, and it's not for the outside world to get involved in this private aspect of his life. However, Piers, being the cheap sentimental hack he is, asked the same questions over and over about it, and then demanded that Ronnie say 'I love you' on camera to his wife for the sake of his viewing figures. Ronnie was understandably reluctant - this was a private thing, this wasn't how they communicated, and it's not what he does. Still, Morgan wouldn't take no for an answer and in the end Ronnie gave up and told his wife he loved her, and promptly wept.

Morgan got exactly what he wanted, the money shot, through cajoling his guest into submission. It was interesting to watch – for much of the media this is how journalism works. But it's usually a hidden process. The journalist can recount the events without revealing the manipulative lengths they went to make their interviewee lose it in some way. Watching Piers do this in front of the cameras was revolting. The man has no shame, and no respect for his guests, just an eye for the mechanics of a popular story no matter the cost, and the tricks to make an unwary elderly performer break down in front of the camera for nothing more than a cheap thrill.