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BBC's Dan Walker says 'there's a decent bloke fighting to get out' of rival Piers Morgan

Dan Walker and Piers Morgan are long-standing rivals (Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images & Brett Cove/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)
Dan Walker and Piers Morgan are long-standing rivals. (Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images & Brett Cove/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)

BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker has said he believes that his old rival Piers Morgan is a decent person deep inside.

The pair had various public spats over Twitter when Morgan was hosting ITV show Good Morning Britain, which he recently left after a row over his criticism of Meghan Markle.

But Walker has told The Times the rivalry was always good-natured and that he had a lot of respect for his competition.

Read more: Alex Beresford didn't want Piers Morgan to quit Good Morning Britain

VIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND - MAY 23:  Piers Morgan chats with Dan Walker during the Pro Am for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on May 23, 2018 in Virginia Water, England.  (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Apparently, Morgan and Walker's rivalry is a friendly one. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

He said: "Piers and I have had a friendly rivalry, but it has been good for BBC Breakfast and GMB. He likes to throw a few insults around, but underneath all the froth I think there is a decent bloke fighting to get out.

"They are very different programmes and I’ve always said GMB do a good job.

"Our styles are very different, but the idea that you’ve not done a good job unless you demand resignations and rant at the interviewee is laughable. I don’t want you to know my opinion. I have no problem being seen as the more measured presenter."

The pair continued to antagonise each other after Morgan's infamous walk-out of the Good Morning Britain studio over a disagreement with co-star Alex Beresford.

Walker pretended to have stormed out over a BBC weather report, while Morgan shot back: "I'm surprised BBC bosses didn't storm in and drag you off set after yesterday's ratings came in."

As he left his job at ITV, Morgan took a final swipe at BBC Breakfast, which his co-host Susanna Reid used to present.

He tweeted: “I had one goal when I joined GMB – beat BBC Breakfast in the ratings. On my last day, we did it. That was down to the hard work and dedication of the whole team.

“They don’t all agree with me, some don’t even like me, but we were a team… and we won.”

When Walker heard the news of Morgan's exit, he tweeted: "Sorry to hear the news about your departure from GMB @piersmorgan. If you’d like to come on the UK’s number 1 breakfast show to talk about it... we could make some space for you in the morning."

Watch: Sharon Osbourne leaves The Talk after Piers Morgan row