Piers Morgan has said he will donate £1000 to charity for the safe return of a marathon runner’s Big Ben costume.
Over the weekend Lukas Bates ran the grueling 26 mile race dressed as the London landmark.
However, when celebrating with his friends in a pub, the outfit disappeared and the story has since gone viral.
Even viral enough for Piers to pick up the story on Good Morning Britain, and offer £1000 of his own money for the cardboard Big Ben’s return.
When chatting about the ordeal with his co-host Susanna Reid, the controversial presenter said: ‘The poor guy goes to the pub to celebrate, and while he is in the pub, someone nicks the Big Ben.
‘Gone, he has not seen it since somewhere in Lester Square.’
Sighing with disbelief, he continued: ‘Imagine stealing Big Ben from a marathon runner?
‘Anyway if anyone has seen a cardboard Big Ben, would you please tell us and we will return it to this man who has run for charity.’
And this is when the father-of-four got charitable himself, as he started to offer a reward for the outfit.
‘I mean, where do you hide a 10 foot Big Ben?’ he questioned before adding: ‘Someone knows where that is, I am offering a £500 reward, just enough to temp people.’
After thinking about what he’d just said, the star then upped his price, adding: ‘No let’s make it £1000.
‘I will offer £1000 of my own money for the safe return of the Big Ben, because that man should have his Big Ben back.’
Susanna asked what he’d do if it was the people who took the outfit who ended up returning it, to which Piers laughed: ‘Well no, if you stole it I’m not giving you £1000.
‘I will give you a clump!’
He smirked: ‘If you find it then you will get the reward.
‘Someone knows who stole it and didn’t actually steal it, well then, I will donate the £1000 to charity for the safe return of the Big Ben.’
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