Piers Morgan labels Alan Cumming an 'attention-seeking twerp' for returning OBE

Piers Morgan has hit out at actor Alan Cumming after he announced he had returned his OBE.

The former Good Morning Britain host is a vocal defender of the Royal Family and monarchy, particularly when it comes to railing against former senior royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Now the TalkTV star has taken aim at Alan, who handed back his OBE after recent conversations ‘opened [his] eyes’ to the ‘toxicity’ of the British Empire.

In a candid post on Friday, Alan – who was ‘shocked and delighted’ to have been given an OBE for his services to the LGBTQ+ community in the US in 2009, explained his reasoning.

He said the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the conversations around the monarchy and ‘the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples’ had ‘opened my eyes.’

Now Piers – who has not been given an OBE – has attacked Alan by labeling him an ‘attention-seeking little twerp.’

Responding to an article about Alan’s decision on Twitter, the Uncensored host wrote: ‘What a pathetic, disingenuous, disloyal, attention-seeking little twerp.’

Piers’ comment, though not surprising, divided opinion online, with some supporters declaring the OBE should be given to him instead.

Critics of the presenter, meanwhile, responded with cartoon gifs of people in glass houses throwing stones – take from that what you will.

Alan had explained that, when he was given his OBE for services to the LGBTQ+ community in the US in 2009, same-sex marriage was illegal and gay couples could not ‘enjoy the same basic legal rights as straight people,’ including openly queer people being unable to serve in the military.

Having been ‘honoured’ at the time, Cumming has now decide to hand back the OBE following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the conversation around the British Empire’s bloody history.

He wrote: ‘The Queen’s death and the ensuing conversations about the role of monarchy and especially the way the British Empire profited at the expense (and death) of indigenous peoples across the world really opened my eyes.

‘Also, thankfully, times and laws in the US have changed, and the great good the award brought to the LGBTQ+ cause back in 2009 is now less potent than the misgivings I have being associated with the toxicity of empire (OBE stands for Officer of the British Empire).’

Cumming said he returned his award having ‘explained my reasons and reiterated my great gratitude for being given it in the first place.’

Metro.co.uk has reached out to reps for Alan for comment.

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