We said​​​​​​​ no to Trump!

Piers Morgan on how his show turned down Donald Trump and what he’s looking for from first guest Nigel Farage

- Judy Ewens

Piers Morgan returns with a new series of Life Stories this week and begins with probably his most controversial guest to date – Nigel Farage.

‘Half the people watching will love him, the other half will want to kill him,’ says Piers, 51.

As well as interviewing the former UKIP leader and Brexit champion, the chat-show host will also be sitting down with the last surviving Bee Gee, Barry Gibb, pop star Boy George and actor Nigel Havers in the four-part series.

‘We turned down a lot of people,’ says Piers. ‘Nigel Farage was the last one we nailed and I was like, “Oh yes!”' Here, he talks us through the show...

How do you get on with Nigel?

I quite like him. I don’t share his political views because I voted Remain. But this show is not really about politics. It’s more about who is the man behind this seismic bombshell which has ripped the country apart. Like Donald Trump, he is a compelling, charismatic character. Nigel has cheated death three times – cancer when he was very young, a car crash and horrific plane crash that should have killed him. He can be very funny and very charming, but he can be very tough, too. I heard that his entourage are involved in high-stakes gambling over whether I can make him cry.