Ben Shephard was quick to jump to Meghan Markle's defence as he interviewed Tom Bower on Thursday's Good Morning Britain.
Ben, 47, and his co-host Charlotte Hawkins invited the author into the ITV studio to discuss his new controversial book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors.
As the pair grilled 75-year-old Tom about some extracts from the book, Ben made it clear which side he is on.
During the chat, he said: "I mean Meghan was an independently, successful Hollywood actress, famous in her own right, and ambitious like lots of people are and had a strong view about how she wants to be seen.
"No one can sort of suggest that isn't the right way of going... sort of what she wants to do, it's her life. Why should she suddenly be judged in terms of what some people say is bullying, and others are saying is just having forthright views?
"I mean she's just trying to control her brand, she's not the first well known person to do that is she?" he added.
Tom replied bluntly: "Not at all, but I think you say, 'she was a famous actress' - she wasn't, she was a third rate..."
Ben quickly interrupted him and said: "No, that's not true."
"Well, Suits was watched by a million people," Tom argued, referring to the television series in which Meghan played the role of Rachel Zane for seven years.
Ben fired back: "No, that's not true. She was a very famous actress and she had a high profile in Hollywood and Suits was a series that was streamed all over the world, so people knew who she was..."
Tom responded: "Well, I won't argue but I disagree with you. But the point is, until she met Harry, even Graydon Carter who works at Vanity Fair and had commissioned the article, had never heard of her and had never heard of Suits, he was just told that whoever married Harry was going to famous, as she indeed was."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV and ITV Hub.
