Piers Morgan has said he doesn’t think the Madeleine McCann case would have got the same attention if she were black.
He made the comments during a debate on Good Morning Britain.
Guests were discussing whether or not white people could recognise racism.
Read more: Horrified Piers Morgan blasts GMB fans for trolling Madeleine McCann parents
It came as German police announced this week they have a suspect for the Madeleine McCann case.
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Madeleine was snatched from a holiday apartment in Portugal on May 3, 2007.
Despite huge publicity and several investigations, the case has never been solved.
Piers’ suggestion that Madeleine would not have got so much press if she were a black child certainly stirred up viewers.
Media coverage
Piers said: “The blanket coverage today [Thursday, June 4] of this Madeleine McCann development in all the papers, some papers doing 10 pages before they get to any reference of the Hyde Park protests yesterday for example,” referring to the Black Lives Matter marches which took place across the country.
“It seemed to me as an example of unwitting subliminal decision-making.”
“I do not think that decision would have been taken if Madeleine McCann had been a black girl.
He went on. “I don’t think it would have galvanised the same attention or attracted the same media attention in such a huge amount so many years after her disappearance.
“That’s the kind of thing, if I was black, I would look at that and go, ‘Why is it one rule for white girls that go missing and another rule for black girls who go missing and don’t get this attention?'”
Twitter reaction
Piers also said he was proud that his son had attended a Black Lives Matter march.
Fans were divided on Twitter by the comments.
Read more: Piers Morgan explains to GMB viewers why he is so angry
Many welcomed what they saw as a new, more progressive attitude from Piers.
“Piers Morgan has had such a STRONG shift in his public ideologies since the coronavirus, it’s insane,” wrote one.
“Someone that argued some months ago that the UK isn’t racist is now saying “if Madeleine McCann was black would be still be funding?” What a shift! I’m proud of him if I’m honest.”
Another asked: “Did Piers Morgan’s woke twin brother replace him at the start of 2020?”
Disagreement
But not everyone saw it that way.
One fan, in answer to the question of whether a black Madeleine McCann would have got the same attention, wrote: “Errr, yes!!! Are you now trying to turn the Madeleine McCann story into an issue of race??? I mean, seriously???”
And another said: “The answer is undoubtedly yes…. non racists vastly outnumber racists and to the majority whether Madeleine had been black would be insignificant…
Piers Morgan has had such a STRONG shift in his public ideologies since the coronavirus, it’s insane. Someone that argued some months ago that the UK isn’t racist is now saying “if Madeleine McCann was black would we still be funding?” What a shift! I’m proud of him if I’m honest
— BLACK LIVES MATTER | ACAB (@h3recome_eye) June 4, 2020
Errr, yes!!! Are you now trying to turn the Madeleine McCann story into an issue of race??? I mean, seriously???
— Alex (@man_ofthe_hill) June 4, 2020
The answer is undoubtedly yes..” non racists” vastly outnumber “ racists”and to the majority whether Madeleine had been black would be insignificant ..
— Peter woolf (@Peterwoolf7) June 5, 2020
Did Piers Morgan’s woke twin brother replace him at the start of 2020?https://t.co/lzZh8HLdtv
— Dan ✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 (@DanielJFalconer) June 4, 2020
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