Patsy Palmer ‘did a Piers Morgan’ and stormed off Good Morning Britain on Wednesday in a fury at being billed as an ‘addict turned wellness guru’.
The former EastEnders star, 48, turned off her camera and shut down the video interview from her Malibu home after taking exception to the ITV show’s strap line, saying her her 20-year battle with drink and drugs was ‘many, many years ago’.
The actress declared she was ‘doing a Piers Morgan’, after the former host stormed off the show last week during a debate with co-presenter Alex Beresford, before quitting his role on GMB entirely.
Immediately after Patsy’s exit, presenter Ben Shepherd explained that the line ‘addict to wellness guru’, was a quote she used in her 2007 book All of Me: Love, Life and Addiction.
No thanks! Patsy Palmer refused to take part in a Good Morning Britain interview live on air after she saw they had branded her ‘addict to wellness guru’
During the first few minutes of her interview, hosts Ben and Susanna Reid quizzed Patsy on her decision to leave the UK for the U.S, however things quickly turned sour when Patsy noticed the programme’s strap line.
At the start of the awkward interview, Ben asked: ‘Did you move to get away from people shouting ‘Ricky’ at you in the street?’
Patsy replied: ‘Um, not really not just for that reason, maybe one of them.’
Susanna then asked: ‘You have done what Meghan and Harry did which is get away from the UK, to go off to California and set up a new life.
‘And I know you’ve spoken out about Meghan and Harry before, I wonder if you do get more privacy over there?’
Patsy said: ‘I think you do…You know what actually I’m not, I don’t even want to do this interview because I don’t even want to look at what it says at the bottom of that screen.
‘I’m going to switch off, do a real Piers Morgan and say it’s not ok to have ”addict to wellness guru” on the bottom of the screen. You know, my issues I had years ago that were talked about by me many many years ago and it’s over.’
Not happy: The furious star, 48, said she didn’t appreciate being referred to as an ‘addict’ because it was ‘years ago’, before abruptly leaving the virtual chat
Ben replied: ‘So sorry about that Patsy. Huge apologies, it wasn’t our intention to upset you, that’s obviously a quote from Patsy’s book, and as she’s talked about in the past.’
While Susanna added: ‘Well that’s a terrible shame, our apologies to Patsy.’
After Patsy quit the interview, Ben explained that the strap line shown was a quote from Patsy herself – taken from her autobiography.
Ben said: ‘That’s a quote from her book, and she’s promoting a wellness brand, but we are sorry Patsy.’
While Susanna added: ‘I have no idea that was on the a screen. Our apologies to Patsy, she’s entitled not to do the interview and we just carry on.’
Bye: The ex- EastEnders actress, who had a 20-year battle with drink and drugs, declared she was ‘doing a Piers Morgan’, after the former host stormed off the show last week
Bewildered fans who were watching the show live took to Twitter to comment on Patsy’s decision to suddenly leave the interview.
One person said: ‘Patsy Palmer shuts down GMB. Not a good week for the show.’
Another person sympathised with Patsy and said: ‘#GMB fair play to #patsypalmer told them where to stick their interview live on air… I’m going to do a Piers she said just before switching off.’
Reaction: Bewildered fans who were watching the show live took to Twitter to comment on Patsy’s decision to suddenly leave the interview
A third wrote: ‘No but what is going on over at GMB today man??? Patsy Palmer really locked off the whole interview right at the start.’
A different person said: ‘Omg Patsy Palmer that was so awkward, but fair play to you.’ #GMB’
While another wrote: ‘Well, that was rude! @GMB #PatsyPalmer Why write it in a book if you don’t want to talk about it? Diva much?’
Another agreed and said: ‘Didn’t know Patsy Palmer was so sensitive about something she apparently wrote about… sad the way the world is going.’
Another agreed and said: ‘Didn’t know Patsy Palmer was so sensitive about something she apparently wrote about… sad the way the world is going’
Later during a chat with Lorraine about what was to come on her show, Susanna said: ‘Any walkouts on your programme recently Lorraine?
Lorraine joked: ‘Not recently, I did see that I’m sure she will be fine.’
Suggesting Susanna was the common denominator as she was also present for Piers’ walk out, Ben said: ‘There’s a link, I wasn’t here before.’
He added: ‘The important thing is our intention was to never upset Patsy Palmer, we were very keen to talk to her about wanting to come on, she’s talked in the past, she’s talked in her book particularly about her addiction and stints in rehab.
‘Now she has a wellness brand and promoting that, it’s the journey she has been on to get to where she is today and what she’s learned in her life, and that’s what we mistakenly misread to understand.
LA time: Ahead of the awkward interview Patsy shared this glowing selfie on Instagram
Susanna said: [It’s] not presented as an ambush.’
Ben said: ‘Certainly not, clearly she was very upset by that and that’s not how we like to do things.
Susanna also said: ‘No and we were really keen to talk to her… she has been very open, but of course everyone has a right to not be on this programme if they don’t want to be, as we know.’
Mixed: Some viewers supported Patsy’s decision while others branded her a ‘diva’ for storming off the ITV programme
Patsy’s outburst also gave viewers a chance to mourn the absence of former host Piers, as fans claimed the situation ‘wouldn’t have happened’, had he been there.
One person said: ‘@Piersmorgan how would you of handled that @patsypalmerx interview? To be fair I am shocked that @GMB want label someone an addict!
‘It’s taking away Patsy’s right to talk about a sensitive time in her life.’
Another joked: ‘@Piersmorgan have you been coaching Patsy Palmer??’
A third said: ‘GMB has become a right mess since @piersmorgan left. I bet the BBC are loving it! #gmb #bringbackpiers. Where’s Patsy gone?’
Another agreed, and said: ‘Something I dis/agree with @piersmorgan but without him GMB is dull, boring and they just got shtu down by Patsy Palmer lmao.
‘That would not have happened if he was there.’
Bring back Piers? Patsy’s outburst also gave viewers a chance to mourn the absence of former host Piers, as fans claimed the situation ‘wouldn’t have happened’, had he been there
Patsy has previously opened up on turning her life around in her autobiography, All Of Me, and has launched her own wellness Instagram page, Good and Proper.
Patsy shot to stardom as market trader Bianca Jackson aged 21, where she found on-screen love with Ricky Butcher, and also found a place in the hearts of the nation.
However off screen, Patsy began struggling with a party hard lifestyle where she would binge on alcohol, cocaine and ecstasy.
The TV star has previously admitted to trying alcohol at eight, sniffing solvents at 11 and even snorting cocaine at just 13.
When she joined the cast of EastEnders, Patsy was a single mother living with her son Charley, now 29, in an East End flat.
She told the Mirror in 2012: ‘Quite often, I’d party all night and go into work the next morning, just grabbing sleep on the set whenever I could, I don’t know how I survived.’
‘My emotions were completely unmanageable at that time and I don’t think I realised how unmanageable they were until I stopped. When I look back and see how much I’ve changed I think I was a different person.’
Younger years: Off screen, Patsy began struggling with a party hard lifestyle where she would binge on alcohol, cocaine and ecstasy (pictured in 1995)
Patsy, who has been teetotal since 2004, has been married twice; firstly to filmmaker Nick Love for five months in 1998.
She went on to marry her husband Richard Merkell in 2000 and the couple now share children Fenton, 20, Emilia, 19, and Bertie, 10.
The media personality previously told how the family ‘don’t have alcohol in the house’ and she follows the 12-step programme from Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.
Patsy, whose real name is Julie Merkell, said: ‘Ask yourself, ‘Is drinking and taking drugs stopping you from being the best person you want to be?’. And if the answer’s yes, it’s time to knock it on the head. Richard and I didn’t want that for our life. I didn’t want to be falling out of clubs. I wanted a settled home life and now I have.’
Family: She went on to marry her husband Richard Merkell in 2000 and the couple now share children Fenton, 20, Emilia, 19, and Bertie, 10 (pictured)