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Piers Morgan calls for 'big awards ceremony' for front line coronavirus 'heroes'

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 25: Piers Morgan attends the 2019 British Academy Britannia Awards presented by American Airlines and Jaguar Land Rover at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 25, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Morgan Lieberman/WireImage)
Piers Morgan attends the 2019 British Academy Britannia Awards presented by American Airlines and Jaguar Land Rover at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 25, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Morgan Lieberman/WireImage)

He has been a vocal supporter of NHS staff and keyworkers during the coronavirus pandemic, and now Piers Morgan has called for a red carpet style awards ceremony to honour the “heroes” on the front line.

Morgan has used his platform to urge stronger government restrictions to help manage the spread of the deadly virus, but the presenter and journalist has also put his hand in his own pocket by offering to pay parking fines issued to NHS staff while they are on duty.

Read more: Coronavirus: Piers Morgan pledges to pay NHS workers' parking tickets

And the 54-year-old hopes those on the front line sacrificing their own safety will be recognised and has suggested a glitzy Oscars-style bash to honour them.

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He said to the Sun on Sunday: “From this horrific, cataclysmic event, I think we have all learnt that the real heroes aren’t celebrities. They’re the NHS staff, the police, teachers, nurses and doctors, the bin men - all those working selflessly in the public sector.

“It would be quite nice if next year the big awards ceremonies celebrated real people. I’d like to see a global health worker thing, a big red-carpet event with thousands of people celebrating these heroes.”

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Morgan also took aim at celebrity culture, saying he hopes the current situation brings some “perspective”.

He added: “I hope this situation has given us all some perspective and, that once it’s over, we will stop worshipping material stuff and realise it really does not matter what Kim Kardashian has to say. None of it matters.”

Read more: Piers Morgan slams Madonna for 'toe-curling attention-seeking' videos

He went on to demand higher wages for NHS staff and suggested MBE awards for those putting themselves at risk.

Morgan last week labelled traffic warden’s issuing parking fines to NHS staff in the line of duty “imbeciles” and even offered to pay the fines himself.

He said in a public statement: “NHS workers, if any of you get a parking ticket at a hospital when you are working, I will pay it. And I will then go to the government to have the battle. Send it here to Good Morning Britain.”

GMB airs weekdays on ITV from 6am.