Alex Beresford says he's faced 'relentless racism' since 'GMB' row with Piers Morgan

Alex Beresford has said he has faced “relentless racism” since speaking up for Meghan Markle on Good Morning Britain.

The presenter clashed with Piers Morgan on the ITV show as they discussed Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, with Beresford accusing Morgan of “trashing” the duchess.

The row ended with Morgan storming off and he later quit the show over his refusal to apologise for saying Markle had lied in the interview.

Beresford has now opened up about dealing with the fallout, telling The Telegraph: "Since then, I have been subjected to relentless racism myself on social media.

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“I haven’t announced it but I have been forced to step away from Twitter and Facebook myself, because it was getting too much."

"I am a strong person, but I am not made of steel," he added.

Beresford, 40, said that the “harsh reality, though, is that social media is just a reflection of a bigger problem in society”.

The TV star, born in Bristol to a white British mother and a Guyanese father, said growing up mixed race “was at times a lonely journey” and said that between himself and his friends, he had many examples of facing racism.

He also told how race once affected his mum’s job at a wine company, with a “change in treatment” and then a “change in job” following after he visited her at her office.

Meghan and Prince Harry's interview with Winfrey aired in March and included claims about the duchess’s mental health and racism within the Royal Family.

During a discussion about it on GMB, Beresford defended Meghan, noting that she and Prince Harry had "had an overwhelming amount of negative press" before referencing Morgan's claims that he had a friendship with Meghan before she began dating Harry.

He went on: “I understand that you don’t like Meghan Markle. You’ve made it so clear a number of times on this programme, and I understand that you had a personal relationship with Meghan Markle and she cut you off.

"Has she said anything about you after she cut you off? She’s entitled to cut you off if she wants to. And yet you continue to trash her.”

“OK, I’m done with this," Morgan interjected as he stood up and walked away.

Read more: Piers Morgan warns 'hypocrites' that he is watching and will retaliate

Beresford has now told The Telegraph that the Winfrey interview “resonated” with him, “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”.

“Whilst appearing to be a royal problem, it felt so personal to me,” said the TV star, adding that we need to have conversations about race.

Watch: Alex Beresford didn't want Piers Morgan to quit GMB