Piers Morgan has blasted a "ridiculous" campaign to have Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield fired after 25,000 people signed a petition over the queue-jumping row.
This Morning hosts Holly and Phil were subjected to relentless trolling after being falsely accused of skipping the queue to see the Queen lying in state.
Despite the stars breaking their silence on the accusations and confirming on the ITV daytime show that they were there as part of the media and that they didn't jump the queue, a petition has been filed to "axe" them from TV.
Yet TalkTV host Piers has come out in fierce defence of the couple on his show Uncensored this evening, saying that they had been "the subject of a ridiculously over the top campaign".
"There's 25,000 people that have signed to have them fired," he said. "Of course they shouldn't be fired - it's ridiculous! It may have been a misjudgement - I said myself on this on my show, I don't think anyone should have been jumping the queue full stop, whoever you are unless you're a world leader or there's a time issue."
Sharing a clip of their statement on the show this morning, Holly was heard saying in a voice over: "We were given official permission to access the hall, it was strictly for reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who haven't been able to visit Westminster in person.
"The rules were, that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back. In contrast, those paying respect stood on a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause. None of the broadcasters or journalists there took anyone's place in the queue and no one filed past the Queen."
In response, Piers said: "Full disclosure - I'm a good friend of Holly's, I feel so sorry for her. She's absolutely distraught, I think, about the reaction.
"I genuinely think in her head that there was a blurring of the line about work - if you're working and you're covering it, I think a lot of journalists went through there. Isabel did, I know other journalists who did it and haven't been subjected to all of this."
*Piers Uncensored airs at 8pm on TalkTV
