Piers Morgan has called for people stop trolling war veteran Captain Sir Tom Moore and his family following a trip to Barbados.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, Piers defended the 100-year-old, who is currently in hospital battling coronavirus and pneumonia.
In recent days, the fundraising hero has been subject to online scrutiny for his trip to the Caribbean back in December.
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Speaking on the ITV show this morning, Piers said: "If your first thought when hearing Captain Sir Tom Moore is in hospital, fighting coronavirus, aged 100 - knowing how dangerous that situation is - if your first thought is to troll him and his family on Twitter."
Watch a clip below:
Piers continued: "He took a perfectly legal trip to Barbados - the trip of a lifetime, to give him a break...he had been offered a free trip. We have no idea if it had anything to do with his subsequent illness.
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"We are in February now... this was back in December. We don't know that, at all, but frankly that's a matter for the family, they did nothing wrong.
"I watched yesterday, Twitter has already descended into a total sewer, over Marcus Rashford and other black footballers in this country, racial abuse spewing out from this anonymous cretins on Twitter, and then I see them turn on Captain Sir Tom Moore.
"I see them abusing him and mocking him, a man who served his country in World War II, a man who helped save this country from the Nazis a man who, aged 99, raised £39million for the NHS."
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"More money than anyone has ever raised," chipped in Susanna.
"[He] motivated all of us, inspired all of us, been an ambassador for us all over the world - the very best of this country," Piers went on.
"And for disgusting vermin to be abusing and mocking him and his family on Twitter at such a moment, when clearly there are very serious concerns about his life, I find utterly contemptible.
"As contemptible as I find the racism spewed at Marcus Rashford. What have we become, seriously, when that is the gut reaction on social media?
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"Sitting at home, thinking, 'I know what I will do, I will abuse Captain Tom and his family, I'll abuse Marcus Rashford. Why don't you get off your slovenly, nasty racist backsides and do something yourselves for this country?"
Captain Sir Tom travelled to Barbados with his family after being offered a free trip from BA back in December, and it was said to be on the 100-year-old's bucket-list to have one final holiday in the Caribbean.
The fundraising hero and his family jetted off on December 11th last year, prior to the national lockdown we are in currently.
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While foreign travel was advised against, unless essential, it was not illegal when Captain Sir Tom and his family flew away, as November's lockdown restrictions had just lifted.
At the time he travelled, Britons were indeed legally allowed to jet abroad provided that they followed quarantine rules and holidayed within the travel corridor system.
Piers and Susanna aren't the only ones to speak up for Captain Sir Tom and his family, with This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield also fighting in his corner during an interview with Matthew Wright and Julia Hartley-Brewer on the show.
Julia said: "I was stunned to see some trolls on social media saying: 'Oh, if he didn't go to Barbados!'
"He went on a lovely, warm, perfectly legal Caribbean holiday with his family, and I think that's absolutely wonderful he did that and nothing whatsoever to do with his ailments now.
"I do think the trolls need to take a day off."
Clearly in agreement, Phil interjected: "A life off! Just sod off!"
"The timings don't work out with this so it's totally irrelevant anyway," Holly added.
On January 31st, Captain Sir Tom's family confirmed he was being treated for coronavirus in Bedford after contracting pneumonia - something which had earlier prevented him from being given the Covid-19 vaccine.
Captain Sir Tom catapulted into the spotlight after walking 100 laps of his 25-metre (82ft) garden in lockdown one, to raise money for NHS staff ahead of his 100th birthday, back in April.
He originally set out to rasie £1000, but ended up raising £32,796,355 for NHS charities, landing national acclaim, a knighthood and even a tribute during London's New Year drone display.
Featured Image Credit: ITVTopics: TV News, TV Entertainment, Piers Morgan