PIERS Morgan today said Ant McPartlin does "not deserve any sympathy" over his drink-drive conviction and revealed he had "partied" in the past with the "haunted" TV star.
The Good Morning Britain host, 53, was discussing his 42-year-old friend's record £86,000 fine and 20-month driving ban when he made the comments.
Speaking on the show about Ant's appearance in court yesterday, Piers said: "I've known Ant a long time, worked with him, partied with him, had a good time with him. Like him very, very much.
"Very sad to see him now going through this kind of attention. I don't think he'd want any sympathy. He doesn't deserve any sympathy for this episode. It's pretty unedifying stuff.
"He couldn't have done any more. He's held his hands up. He's admitted it. He's taken his punishment. He looks to me like a slightly haunted guy yesterday. "
Piers got to know Ant after the pair started working together on Britain's Got Talent in 2007.
It comes almost a month after Piers last mentioned his friend on Good Morning Britain, saying at the time: "The public were very sympathetic to his [past] problems, this is different.
Elsewhere in today's show Piers joked his great skin was due to "clean living" after fans accused him of having "work done" during a recent break in Los Angeles.
The star insisted his lack of lines was "genetic" as he revealed "people think I've had plastic surgery I look so good".
On his second day back on Good Morning Britain after several weeks off, he responded to comments about his youthful skin.
He joked to his colleagues: "It's clean living. It's just doing things the right way. No it's just basically a load of cheese and red wine."
Charlotte Hawkins interjected: "Good skin inherited from your mother?"
Piers replied: "You see it's all genetic. I don't smoke, which I think is crucial. But if your mum, your grandma have a lack of lines. You're in business."
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Teasing Charlotte, as well as Susanna Reid and weather girl Laura Tobin, he said: "Unfortunately the sun hasn't shined quite so quite so brightly on my co-workers."
Later in the show Piers said he didn't really need make-up and added: "People think I've had plastic surgery I look so good."
He had been on "extended break" which has seen him spend time in Los Angeles with his wife Celia Walden.
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