has admitted he deliberately shied away from TV interviews after his close friend suddenly died from a heart attack last month.
The TV star and journalist, 57, is about to take up a new role on TalkTV, just over a year since he dramatically stormed off the set of GMB.
He’s known for his bold presenting style and doesn’t take any prisoners when interviewing guests on the box.
But while discussing moments that made him uncharacteristically tearful, the TV host revealed he was hit hard .
The on March 5 at the age of 52, following a suspected heart attack in Thailand.
He said: ‘Shane Warne was a good friend of mine, and I actually deliberately didn’t do any television interviews [in the days after Warne’s sudden death last month of a heart attack] because I thought I might cry.
‘That’s the honest truth. I’d been texting him a few hours before,’ Piers added.
The broadcaster went on to share one of his favourite lines which he wants to use on his upcoming series in tribute.
‘He used to sometimes say, “You’ve got to say get stuffed to the fun police.”
‘I thought that was such a brilliant line. I wouldn’t mind that on my tombstone,’ he teased to .
Piers paid tribute to Warne shortly after the news of his death broke in March, tweeting: ‘Absolutely devastated to hear that @ShaneWarne has died from a heart attack aged just 52.
‘He was a genius cricketer, a supreme entertainer, a fantastic bloke and a great loyal friend for many years. Just gutting news.’
He added: ‘RIP Warnie, I loved every minute in your company.’
Uncensored is set to give him a platform to share his views without a filter – so he’s already given potential viewers a heads-up for where to complain.
He tweeted: ‘To save time….’ along with short video clip of him pointing above his head, where the address for the TalkTV complaints department appeared.
Piers also revealed that his production team had bought him the most spot-on gift basket in honour of his first dress rehearsal ahead of the big launch.
He tweeted: ‘My first full dress rehearsal for – and my brilliant team gave me this gift basket. They know me well!’
In the hamper, six bottles of wine could be seen along with Piers Morgan Uncensored baseball caps, a notebook reading ‘Woke Is A Joke’, Nelson Mandela’s autobiography and a mug reading ‘F**k it, I’m out.’
Piers Morgan: Uncensored begins on April 25 on TalkTV.
