Piers Morgan accuses Laura Woods of 'pulling an Alan Brazil' after Glastonbury
Piers Morgan wasn't about to let Laura Woods off the hook after the talkSPORT host was absent without her leave from her show on Monday morning.
The accomplished Woods, who will address listeners for the final time on Wednesday before leaving to be the face of the Champions League coverage for TNT Sports, was seen partying hard at Glastonbury on Sunday. And after witnessing Elton John close the festival, the weekend obviously took its toll with Sam Matterface called to stand in at the 11th hour.
And that was clearly a let down for famous Arsenal fan Morgan, who came on as a guest to talk about his club's activity in this summer's transfer window. And he jokingly compared Woods, 35, to a man renowned as much for his sick notes as he is his sports presenting.
Speaking to Matterface and former Premier League striker Dean Saunders, he asked: "What happened to Laura Woods? Has she pulled an Alan Brazil here? What's going on?
"The last thing I see is Laura Woods is on the lash at Glastonbury and the next thing I discover, no offence to you two, but I was looking forward to a nice little chat with Laura this morning and discover she is not there."
John Terry takes swipe at Piers Morgan after Arsenal fan issued Chelsea reminderThe reference to Brazil was clearly in jest. The former Ipswich Town icon regularly pokes fun at his own expense for the number of shows missed during the years, which often coincide with lavish social occasions.
Indeed, he was sacked in 2004 after failing to turn up to work during the Cheltenham Festival, blaming his absence on being locked in his Bed and Breakfast. However, he was reinstated less than a month later, with fellow pundits still frequently joking about the odds of him making it through a week with 100% attendance.
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But after his dig, Morgan did then pay tribute to his fellow Gooner, adding: "All I was going to say, and I'll say it in her absence, is that I know it's her last week on talkSPORT and she's been absolutely brilliant.
"Laura, in your absence, what I was going to say is thank you for all the brilliant stuff you've done over the last three years. It's been a pleasure to be with you on occasion and to listen to you. I wish you the absolute best on your next venture."
Woods was back on the airwaves on Tuesday, and did clarify the saga that forced her to miss work. Having booked a taxi to ensure he was home in time, she was forced to walk an hour with luggage to meet her cab, with the driver then taking her to the wrong venue in the early hours of Monday morning.