'It's not about you': Piers Morgan slams Laurence Fox boast about lockdown-flouting 'lunch with large group and hugs'

Piers Morgan has slammed Laurence Fox in an angry rant about a large lunch the actor hosted in breach of lockdown rules, saying: “It’s not about you.”

Fox is at the centre of another controversy after boasting on Twitter that he invited a “large group” over for lunch and hugged them, breaking COVID lockdown restrictions.

In Monday’s Good Morning Britain, Morgan did not hold back in expressing his anger about the tweet, saying: “Laurence, why don’t you just shut up.”

He urged the actor to think about the NHS workers, people who couldn’t see their loved ones in care homes, and all of those making sacrifices to beat the virus.

Morgan said: “It epitomises the attitude of a small vocal minority of people in this country who just don't think this pandemic is for them.

“It's not just about you, it's about other people in our society, vulnerable people, sick people, elderly people, people who've already got underlying conditions.

“It's to stop them being killed.”

Read more: Laurence Fox calls for BBC to be defunded

The former Lewis star, 42, was open about flouting the current national lockdown, which has been in place in England since 5 November. On 2 December, areas will move into tiered restrictions that still ban indoor mixing and large groups.

He tweeted on Sunday: “Just had a large group over to lunch and we hugged and ate and talked and put the world to rights.

“It was lovely. You’ll never take that away from people. Stay out. Protect your rights.

“If the NHS can’t cope, then the NHS isn’t fit for purpose.

“Compliance is violence.”

Morgan’s co-host Susanna Reid added: “Compliance isn't violence, compliance is compassion.”

Some Twitter users even flagged the tweet to police.

Fox followed it up with another tweet further airing his views on the health service and its funding.

He tweeted: “The NHS isn’t my church and salvation. It’s employees aren’t my saviours.

“If you can’t deal with a 99.9% survival rate virus, you aren’t fit for purpose. You don’t need protecting, my elderly relatives do.

“I also love your emergency care and will continue to pay for it. For now.”

This isn’t the first time he has spoken out about coronavirus restrictions – in April he came under criticism for trivialising lockdown rules.

On Sunday he also added: “Go out. Enjoy yourselves. Be happy.”

Fox has made a number of controversial comments this year, including an inflammatory rant about racism during an appearance on Question Time.

Last week, BBC LGBT correspondent Ben Hunte was targeted with racist and homophobic abuse after Fox tweeted about him.

Fox has also falsely accused a number of people of being paedophiles during a Twitter spat, and announced he was boycotting Sainsbury’s because it had established safe spaces for Black employees.

In September, he announced he was launching his own political party to “reclaim British values”.

Fox’s remarks have alienated a number of other actors, and his racism row led to him being dropped by his agent.

His most recent tweets prompted many Twitter users to mock his post.

Others wondered who had been included in the actor’s lunch gathering.

Fox’s representatives have been contacted for comment.

Watch: Fox defends controversial comments on GMB