Davina McCall appeared to backtrack after criticising the recently unveiled statue of Princess Diana, which she had described as “stiff”.

The sculpture, created by Ian Rank-Broadley, was unveiled by Princes William and Harry at the Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace on Thursday.

After Piers Morgan tweeted his dislike of the statue, Davina agreed, tweeting: “I really wanted to like it. But somehow… it doesn’t feel very Diana? Her joie de vivre… her radiance, her compassion. It feels stiff.”

Davina has since deleted the tweet, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by Piers.

“Bullied & abused by the woke #BeKind brigade into deleting an honestly-held and entirely accurate opinion. Suffice it to say, I won’t be deleting my statue critique – because it’s true,” he tweeted on Saturday.

Davina and Piers aren’t the only stars who are not fans of the tribute to the late Princess of Wales.

Lorraine Kelly has also let her feelings known, saying she believed it didn’t do Diana “justice”. 

“Can I just say, I don’t really like it,” Lorraine said on her daytime show on Friday.. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you think, but I don’t really like the outfit.”

Lorraine said that she liked the “strength” that the statue gives off, as the late princess “looks very strong”, but added: “I just don’t think it does her justice. 

“Of course, it was all about the boys and if they’re happy, then that’s fine,’ Lorraine said of William and Harry.

“Maybe it looks better in real life. I have to reserve judgement until I can see it for myself.”

The bronze statue shows Diana surrounded by three children and is said to be based on the final period of her life as she gained confidence in her role as a humanitarian ambassador.

It aims to convey “her character and compassion”, Kensington Palace said.

William and Harry said in a joint statement on the day: “Today, on what would have been our mother’s 60 birthday, we remember her love, strength and character – qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better. 

“Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy.”