Piers Morgan faces criticism for strongly criticising Mary Earps’ well-deserved SPOTY victory
Piers Morgan faced criticism for raising doubts about Mary Earps' BBC Sports Personality of the Year accolade.
On X, the TalkTV presenter aged 58, commented, “No disrespect to Ms Earps, but shouldn’t the accolade have been given to someone who achieved victory in 2023?”
These comments sparked outrage among social media users, who highlighted the accomplishments of The Lionesses’ goalkeeper, including reaching the finals of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, eventually won by Spain.
Listing the achievements of 30-year-old Mary, which included Fifa’s Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper during the tournament, Emma corrected Piers, stating, “She’s achieved a lot.”
Fellow X user Guillermo Ravelo succinctly expressed, “She deserves it.”
Cairon Lee cautioned, “@piersmorgan, please reconsider your remarks. She truly deserved to win. She played a pivotal role in England’s journey to the final, contributing significantly. She’s made substantial contributions to goalkeeping and women’s sport. In my opinion, she deserves the recognition.”
Piers further provoked the internet with another tweet following the backlash.
Expressing disbelief, he remarked about two female footballers from England winning BBC SPOTY in consecutive years, while noting the absence of recognition for male sporting icons with vibrant personalities like Rory McIlroy, Frankie Dettori, and Ronnie O’Sullivan.”
Paul Woods responded sharply to Piers, sharing an unsettling incident: “My 5-year-old daughter came into my room after reading your Tweets and asked, ‘Dad, why am I a worthless individual who doesn’t deserve to pursue her dreams.'”
Ramesh Saxena added humorously, “Perhaps they should adopt the strategies of the women athletes.
Trying to get my head around two of England’s women footballers winning BBC SPOTY in successive years… while male sporting superstars with great personalities like Rory McIlroy, Frankie Dettori & Ronnie O’Sullivan have never won it. 🤔
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 19, 2023
No offence to Ms Earps, but shouldn’t it have been given to someone who actually won something in 2023? https://t.co/0VtuzMyzgh
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 19, 2023
Mary’s triumph on Tuesday night marked her as the third consecutive female recipient of the award, following her England teammate Beth Mead’s win last year and the victory of US Open champion Emma Raducanu in 2021.
Upon receiving the award, she expressed her gratitude, saying, “I am truly honoured and humbled as I believe this accolade represents the epitome of all-encompassing sporting recognition. We’ve witnessed a couple of extraordinary years, but this is simply ‘wow’.”
She acknowledged the challenges faced on her journey, acknowledging, “It hasn’t been the smoothest path, and I wouldn’t have reached this point without the support of some incredible individuals in my corner. They’ve stood by me through the toughest of times. The last two years have been incredible, surpassing my wildest expectations, and for that, I am sincerely thankful.”
Mary extended her thanks to her teammates and coaches, acknowledging their indispensable role in her success.
In a separate incident, Piers once again courted controversy with comments directed at The Lionesses.
During a tense World Cup final, he tweeted, “Seems like there are quite a few overly emotional women on here right now,” adding, “Calm down, it’s just a game of football…(😂)”
In response, one follower questioned, “What is wrong with you?”
Piers, I respect you for your forthright, candid opinions. At times though, you are a right wanker. She was voted to win by the general public. Cannot, you at least, respect their rights to their opinion.