Piers Morgan was made de-facto 'editor in chief' of Sunday Mirror in 2001 MGN announcement
Piers Morgan was called irrelevant on Twitter by his former boss Rupert Murdoch Reuters

Piers Morgan, who last week confirmed he had left CNN after a dismal three-year spell, was brutally dismissed on Twitter – by his old boss Rupert Murdoch.

Media mogul Murdoch tweeted: "Piers Morgan seems unemployed after failing to attract any audience in US. Seemed out of place. Once talented, now safe to ignore."

Morgan had been editor of The News of The World in 1994-5 under Murdoch's stewardship, and was shocked by the insult, made shortly after he had praised Murdoch's Twitter skills.

He tweeted in response: "Thanks @rupertmurdoch … I was actually paying you a compliment! I really do enjoy your Twitter feed. But never mind…"

The back and forth continued for a little while after, with Murdoch then apologising for his slip of the keyboard.

He wrote: "Did not mean to hurt Piers Morgan. Piers is a friend and a legend."

Having gone from "safe to ignore" to "a legend" in one short day, the Twitter conversation ended up as a love-in.

Morgan said: "I'd never speak badly of @rupertmurdoch – he gave me my first big break & remains the smartest, boldest visionary I've ever worked for."

It was an eventful day for Murdoch, who had caused a stir on social media earlier in the day by suggesting he would end The Sun's Page 3, in a series of tweets ironically criticised for being sexist.

He wrote: "Brit feminists bang on forever about page 3. I bet never buy paper I think old fashioned but readers seem to disagree."

Rupert Murdoch Twitter