Piers Morgan reveals 'old foe' Jeremy Clarkson texted to back him in Meghan Markle row

The pair have often clashed on Twitter – and Burghwallis born Clarkson is once understood to have punched the 55-year-old former newspaper editor.

But revealing the inside story on his departure from the ITV breakfast show, Morgan has revealed that Clarkson messaged him to offer his support at the height of the row.

He admitted that he only knew how things were spiralling out of control when Clarkson, his former enemy, sent him a message of support.

Writing in his new Mail On Sunday column he has detailed a diary style account of the fateful week which saw him leave GMB after refusing to apologise for saying he didn't believe Meghan Markle.

Piers penned: "As I mused over this conundrum, GMB's ratings for yesterday came in and were the highest in our history, breaking a new record we set only last week.

"The show's on fire, in every sense. But the flames are now raging uncontrollably towards me.

"To compound my growing twitchiness, I got a text from my old foe Jeremy Clarkson that read: 'I am completely on your side.'"

Piers added: "Oh s***. This must be more serious than I thought.

"Mid-afternoon, Kevin Lygo, ITV's Director of Television, who I'd spoken to several times since yesterday, rang to say we were now 'on the cliff edge' and either I apologised, or I would have to leave GMB."

He quit Good Morning Britain at the start of the month after a live TV clash with weather presenter Alex Beresford.

Piers, 55, ended up storming off set after furiously telling viewers he didn’t believe the Duchess of Sussex was telling the truth in her explosive TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Clarkson is himself no stranger to television controversy, having run into hot water on a number of occasions with bosses of his former BBC show Top Gear, a programme he was famously dismissed from in 2015 following what was described as a ‘fracas’ with a producer.