Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan has fiercely defended his controversial interviews with government ministers earlier this year.

The notoriously-pugnacious presenter sparked complaints to TV regulator Ofcom for his interviews with health secretary Matt Hancock and care minister Helen Whately during the coronavirus pandemic, accusing the latter of "laughing" as he took her to task over care home deaths.

Following the exchanges the government launched a boycott of the breakfast programme and has now refused to let ministers appear on the show for the last four months.

"I don't regret a damn thing that I did with those government ministers," Morgan told This Morning. "I think they have been a total shambles with this pandemic, I have made no secret of it.

"I think so many more people died than should have died and what happened with our care homes is a national disgrace. I make no apology for holding their feet to the fire.

"What I think is spectacularly gutless is these government ministers have avoided our show for 134 days... now we're seeing again very big decisions being taken right now.

"We're in a perilous moment in this pandemic again and they refuse to come on, and even talk to our viewers, inform them, educate them.

"That is a dereliction of their duties as government ministers. It is completely shameful and they shouldn't be allowed to do it."

The government has also boycotted BBC Two's Newsnight and Channel 4 News for the last few months.