"He must be hungry." Piers Morgan’s new book sparks backlash over trans comments
– 2 min read
Broadcaster Piers Morgan has criticised what he calls “the woke mind virus” in his new book, Woke Is Dead: How Common Sense Triumphed in an Age of Total Madness, in which takes aim at gender-affirming policies and trans inclusion in sport.
In the book and accompanying interviews, Morgan argues that the tide has turned against progressive ideologies, citing Donald Trump’s stance on trans athletes as a pivotal moment. “Trump was like, ‘We’re not going to let men compete in women’s sport, sorry,’” Morgan said. “People have just gone, ‘You know what? We’re done with this.’”
Trans activist Stassia Underwood, who appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored, accused Morgan of using the debate around trans athletes as a political tool. “What you guys really want underlying is the eradication of trans people and for them to not be involved in any systems,” Underwood said during a heated exchange.
Riz Possnett, another activist, challenged Morgan’s framing of trans inclusion in sport, stating, “Trans lives should not be a debate.” Possnett added that the media’s portrayal of trans people contributes to a climate of “violence and hatred”.
Morgan also condemns the now-defunct Tavistock Clinic, which provided gender identity services to young people, calling it “a complete disgrace that shames this country.” He claims children were “mutilated” through gender reassignment procedures without sufficient clinical evidence.
The book includes sharp criticism of celebrities who distanced themselves from author J.K. Rowling over her gender-critical views. Morgan accuses Harry Potter stars Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe of “trampling on women’s rights” while profiting from Rowling’s work. “If they feel that strongly about it, give every single dollar back,” he writes.
Online communities have also weighed in. A thread on Reddit’s r/AskLGBT described Morgan as “classic TERF” and “a transphobic piece of s—,” with users criticising his tendency to interrupt guests and mock gender identities.
A particularly fiery exchange occurred between Morgan and Green Party leader Zack Polanski during a segment on Piers Morgan Uncensored. Morgan pressed Polanski on whether a woman can have a penis, to which Polanski replied, “Yes. It’s going to take them a long time on the NHS to get rid of it but that’s another separate problem.”
When Morgan attempted to end the conversation with, “I think we’ll leave it on a woman can have a penis,” Polanski pushed back, accusing him of lacking “nuance and complexity” on what he called a complicated issue. “You’re laughing at it which I think demeans trans people,” Polanski said, later demanding, “Why are you punching down? Why are you not saying the real problem?”.
