JUST IN: Piers Morgan Quits Good Morning Britain Following Backlash Over Reaction To Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Interview

 Piers Morgan has sensationally quit Good Morning Britain hours after the launch of a social media campaign which saw more than 40,000 complaints made to Ofcom.

The tough-talking morning show host, who has helped rocket the ITV show to its highest ever viewing figures, received a backlash on Twitter after saying he 'didn't believe a word' of Meghan Markle's bombshell Oprah interview - in which the Duchess said she felt like she 'didn't want to be alive anymore'. 

Today the UK's television regulator announced it would launch an investigation into the comments following a flurry of complaints - driven by a social media campaign against the former newspaper editor.

It comes as the 55-year-old host today shocked viewers by walking off camera during a heated on-air row with weatherman Alex Beresford. 

The broadcaster stormed out of the studio saying 'I'm done with this' after being challenged on his position of the Duke and Duchess by his co-star.

The row came after the show secured a world exclusive interview with Meghan's father Thomas Markle - who gave his comments on his daughter's claims he had 'betrayed' her before as she prepared to marry Prince Harry.

But this evening it has been announced that Mr Morgan has quit the hugely popular ITV show - which he co-hosts with Susanna Reid.

An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Following discussions with ITV, Piers Morgan has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain. 

'ITV has accepted this decision and has nothing further to add.'

It brings to an end his six-year long association with the breakfast show, which he originally joined as a guest host in 2015.

The shock split comes after Alex Beresford added fuel to his on-going feud with the presenter today as he took aim at those who 'had the privilege to sit on the fence' and said no one should 'pick apart claims of racism.'

Morgan stormed off the Good Morning Britain set live on air this morning after the show's weatherman accused him of unfairly 'trashing' Meghan Markle.  

Morgan and Beresford had been discussing the Sussexes' bombshell interview with Oprah, where the couple accused the Royal Family of racism.   

After publicly disagreeing on Twitter in the days leading up to the interview, the pair continued to clash in the studio this morning, with Beresford branding his colleague 'diabolical'. 

Tensions were evidently rising as Beresford tried to interject while Morgan was discussing the media's role in promoting the monarchy. 

Morgan said, 'Well do you mind waiting?' and Beresford replied 'Actually I don't, carry on' before Morgan let him speak, saying, 'Up to you mate, I was just going to... fine.' 

Beresford then joined the debate around the couple's press coverage, adding: 'There was bad press around the engagement, before the engagement and everything that has followed since has been incredibly damaging, quite clearly to Meghan's mental health and also to Harry.' 

The weatherman, 40, then suggested Morgan, who has previously recalled going to the pub with Meghan ahead of her date with Prince Harry, was upset at being 'cut off' by the duchess.  

He added: 'She's entitled to cut you off. Has she said anything about you since she cut you off? I don't think she has. But you continue to trash her' - at which point Morgan marched off set.

Susanna Reid was forced to send ITV's breakfast programme to an early advertisement break after the row between her co-host and Beresford boiled over. 

The GMB host returned to the set after the ad break, and said he and Beresford needed to engage 'in a civilised manner given that we work at the same show on the same team'.  

He added: 'You launching into a pretty personally derogatory monologue on one of your colleagues probably isn't one of the best ways to go about it.' 

Morgan also went on to address criticism he received yesterday after seemingly casting doubt on Meghan's claims to have felt suicidal. While doubling down on his 'serious concerns about the veracity' of her interview, he stressed mental health 'should be taken extremely seriously'.  

After the show ended Beresford tweeted what appeared a thinly-veiled dig: 'I wish I had the privilege to sit on the fence. 

'In order for me to do that I would have to strip myself of my identity and that's not something I can do. It's not any of our places to pick apart claims of racism in order to make us to feel more comfortable.'