EyeSpy: Remembering TV-am’s Mike Morris
The broadcaster Mike Morris, best known for his role as anchor on Good Morning Britain alongside Lorraine Kelly in the late 1980s and early 90s, has died aged 65.
His first foray into journalism was with the Surrey Comet in 1969, later joining a news wire agency as one of their editors. In 1974 he became a sports reporter for a newspaper group before moving over to broadcasting in 1979 with ITV London company, Thames Television as a reporter and news producer for Thames News and Thames at Six.
Morris was with TV-am from its inception, remaining with the station until its demise nine years later. He was first seen as part of TV-am News and Daybreak in the sports department as a reporter. Following a presenter shake-up due to a ratings crisis Morris was promoted to weekend presenter of the stations’ flagship magazine programme Good Morning Britain.
In 1987 he became one of the main weekday presenters, working alongside many co-hosts such as Anne Diamond and Lorraine Kelly.
“Mike was a delightful man” Lorraine said, adding that Mike “was such a generous presenter… he didn’t make a big fuss or a song and dance, he made it look easy. And I think in some ways he was under-rated because of that.”
TV-am lost its ITV Breakfast contract to GMTV which replaced the network’s first breakfast company in January 1993. Morris famously stood outside the TV-am studios when news of GMTV’s success was announced and told reporters he was “gutted” and the staff didn’t deserve to lose.
He later joined GMTV for a short spell to front their weekend series Sunday Best before replacing Richard Whiteley on Yorkshire Television’s Calendar News in 1996. He remained with the local news operation until 2002.
Mike Morris 1947 – 2012
Below is a classic Good Morning Britain as Mike and Anne meet a superstar on that famous breakfast sofa.
As Sales Director of TV-AM from 1984 up to the very sad and unnecessary demise of the company, I worked with Mike Morris.
The early days were a nightmare – no money – few ratings – and very little advertising revenue – not good! But these circumstances bring out the best in people.
What you do is take a big breath and get on with it and Mike Morris did just that. His partnership with Anne Diamond, the bloody Rat and Bruce Gyngell’s leadership all helped to move TV-AM in the right direction.
Mike Morris was at the centre of what turned out to be a hugely successful transformation of the company. It was a good, hard-working and sociable team who realised they were on the threshold of creating an outstanding TV company.
Mike and Richard Keyes realised the Sales Department had lunches, drinks and an expense account and as they finished their programme at 9.30 in the morning, all they wanted to do was play!
Mike joined and fronted many of our sales presentations. With his personality and good humour, he was a great part of our team.
Michael will be sadly missed, but for those of us who worked with him at TV-AM, he will always be remembered with great affection.
MIKE MORRIS was a legend he was great on TV-AM you always knew Mike would give you his views as he will be sadly missed. I say bring back TV-AM as daybreak is rubbish as itv are getting worser than channel 5 churning out awful rubbish as at least TV-AM could make breakfast television while itv couldnt organise a piss up in a brewery.
[...] Morris died in October last year aged [...]