Piers Morgan makes Good Morning Britain debut with awkward Mason Noise interview

Piers Morgan clashed with axed X Factor contestant Mason Noise as he took to the sofa for his first full day as host of Good Morning Britain.

Sitting with Susanna Reid and Richard Arnold, he antagonised Noise as he pressed him to reveal his real name in the awkward encounter.

Morgan, who has moved from guest presenter on ITV's breakfast show to permanent co-host three days a week, questioned The X Factor singer: "Noise isn't your name, right? Your name isn't Noise?"

When Noise replied that the moniker was something which had stuck with him since childhood, Morgan continued to press: "So what is your name?"

Looking uncomfortable, Noise replied: "You'll have to go and google it."

Laughing, the new presenter said: "Mason, it's not Question Time, just, what's your name?"

But Noise's reply: "No, it's like asking Batman what his name is," evidently riled Morgan, who questioned whether the aspiring singer had his ego in check.

"Like asking Batman what his name is! Mason, is this the problem? I was watching you, I loved you sticking it to Simon obviously, but when you liken yourself to Batman, a superhero saving the world, do you think the ego is writing cheques that the body maybe isn't quite able to cash?" he asked.

Their needling continued on Twitter when Morgan tweeted the singer: "Good to meet you Batman @itsmasonnoise. Good luck saving the planet and look out Justin Timberlake!"

Noise hit back: "@piersmorgan Glad I've finally met someone with a matching ego (batman voice)."

As Morgan noted with glee after his first stint finished, his name was trending on Twitter all morning.

"Piers was trending for most of the morning, which I quite like, sounds a bit like Oprah, one name, Cher. But I'm a little bit peeved by some of the tone of some of these tweets. Show a bit more respect - I'm not ugly," he joked.

His appearance, however, was met with mixed reaction on the social media site.

Barrie Anderson posted: "Love him or hate he puts the fun into the news when needed and serious and intelligent enough when the story needs it."

Another Twitter user praised his straight-talking interview with shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle, writing: "Must admit I'm warming to piers on GMB, his interview with shadow defence minister was one of the best I've seen brill."

But Ben Rowlings was not a fan. "Why is Piers Morgan on breakfast TV he shouldn't be on TV full stop!" he wrote.

The former newspaper editor's famous friends were called on to welcome him into his new role.

Reid shot down Morgan's query about whether he has "TV conjugal rights" with her after his wife, journalist Celia Walden, wished his new co-host good luck.

It was followed by Lord Sugar teasing that he now understood what morning sickness felt like from seeing Morgan's face on the breakfast show, while Ant and Dec sent a message from the Australian jungle.

After the show, Morgan tweeted: "Well that was all most amusing. Thanks for the tweets, good & bad. They made me chuckle."