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The programme in March, in which Morgan said he
did not believe a word Meghan had said in a landmark interview
she and her husband Prince Harry gave to Oprah Winfrey,
attracted more than 50,000 complaints. Most concerned comments
Morgan made on mental health and suicide.
Meghan, who during the Winfrey interview revealed she had felt
suicidal while living as a royal in Britain, complained to both
Ofcom and ITV about the programme. Morgan left his job on the
show following the incident.
"Our decision is that overall the programme contained sufficient
challenge to provide adequate protection and context to its
viewers," Ofcom said.
In an interview that shook Britain's monarchy, Meghan, a
Hollywood actor who married Prince Harry in 2018, said the royal
family had also rejected her pleas for mental health support.
The couple have stepped back from royal duties and moved to the
United States.
Morgan, a former presenter on CNN, has accused the couple of
damaging the royal family and seeking publicity on their own
terms without accepting the responsibility and scrutiny that
come with their position. He had also dubbed her "Princess
Pinocchio" in a tweet.
"I'm delighted OFCOM has endorsed my right to disbelieve the
Duke & Duchess of Sussex’s incendiary claims to Oprah Winfrey,
many of which have proven to be untrue," Morgan said on Twitter.
"This is a resounding victory for free speech and a resounding
defeat for Princess Pinocchios. Do I get my job back?"
A U.S.-based spokesperson for the Sussexes was not immediately
available for comment out of working hours.
Ofcom said that while it was concerned about Morgan's apparent
disregard for the seriousness of anyone expressing suicidal
thought, the extensive challenge offered by his colleagues
throughout the show provided sufficient context.
The broadcasting code allows for individuals to express strongly
held and robustly argued views, including those that are
potentially harmful or highly offensive, Ofcom said.
"The restriction of such views would, in our view, be an
unwarranted and chilling restriction on freedom of expression
both of the broadcaster and the audience," it said.
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellanEditing by Paul Sandle and Peter
Graff)
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