He attended St Paul's School in London, and the University of Manchester, at which he gained a BA degree in American and English Literature.

[4] Morris's career as a journalist began in 1969 when he joined the Surrey Comet, a local weekly newspaper.

Four years later, he was part of the launch team at TV-am, initially as a sports correspondent before becoming presenter of Good Morning Britain's Saturday edition.

He became a chief weekday anchor in 1987, presenting alongside Anne Diamond, Kathy Tayler, Maya Even and Lorraine Kelly among others.

While at the station, he conducted the first live interview on British television with Nelson Mandela, shortly after his release from prison.