Career Timeline of Piers Morgan: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Piers Morgan made an impact.
Piers Morgan is a prominent English broadcaster, journalist, writer, and media personality. His career began at The Sun in 1988. He became the youngest editor of a British national newspaper in over 50 years when appointed editor of News of the World in 1994 at age 29. He subsequently edited the Daily Mirror, before being dismissed in 2004. Morgan served as editorial director of First News from 2006 to 2007 and became editor-at-large for MailOnline's US operation in 2014.
1985: Joining Surrey and South London Newspaper Group
In 1985, Piers Morgan joined the Surrey and South London Newspaper Group after studying journalism at Harlow College.
1988: Career at The Sun Begins
In 1988, Piers Morgan began his career in journalism at the tabloid newspaper, The Sun.
1988: Working as a Freelancer at The Sun
In 1988, Piers Morgan began working as a freelancer at The Sun, dropping his double-barrelled name at this point.
January 1994: Becoming Editor of News of the World
In January 1994, Piers Morgan was appointed editor of the News of the World, becoming the youngest national newspaper editor in more than half a century.
December 1994: Recruited for "Bizarre" Column
In December 1994, Piers Morgan said he was recruited by Kelvin Mackenzie to work on the newspaper's show business column "Bizarre".
1994: Appointment as News of the World Editor
In 1994, Piers Morgan was appointed editor of the News of the World at the age of 29, becoming the youngest editor of a British national newspaper in more than half a century.
1995: Editing the Daily Mirror
In 1995, Morgan began editing the Daily Mirror.
1995: Leaving News of the World
In 1995, Piers Morgan left his position at News of the World after publishing photographs that violated the editors' code of conduct.
February 1997: Daily Mirror Rebranding
In February 1997, the Daily Mirror spent £16 million on a rebranding project, including dropping "Daily" from the masthead, which was later reversed.
August 1999: Roy Greenslade's Assessment of Morgan's Editorship
In August 1999, Roy Greenslade noted that Piers Morgan's editorship had made a significant positive difference, highlighting his enthusiasm, determination, and focus.
2002: Daily Mirror Attempt to Move Mid-Market
In 2002, the Daily Mirror attempted to shift its focus mid-market, reducing trivial stories and appointing Christopher Hitchens as a columnist, but sales declined.
2003: The Importance of Being Famous
In 2003, Piers Morgan presented a three-part documentary series for the BBC titled The Importance of Being Famous.
May 2004: Sacking as Editor of the Daily Mirror
On May 14, 2004, Piers Morgan was sacked as editor of the Daily Mirror after publishing fake photographs alleged to show Iraqi prisoners being abused by British soldiers.
2004: Firing from the Daily Mirror
In 2004, Piers Morgan was fired from his role as editor of the Daily Mirror.
May 2005: Morgan gains ownership of Press Gazette
In May 2005, Piers Morgan, in partnership with Matthew Freud, acquired Press Gazette and the British Press Awards for £1 million. This ownership led to a boycott of the 2006 awards by major newspapers.
May 2006: First News launched
In May 2006, Piers Morgan launched First News, a weekly newspaper aimed at children aged seven to 14, serving as its editorial director.
2006: Pride of Britain Awards
From 1999 to 2006, Piers Morgan chaired a panel that chose the recipients of the annual Pride of Britain Awards broadcast on ITV.
2006: Morgan judges America's Got Talent
In 2006, Piers Morgan became a judge on America's Got Talent alongside Brandy Norwood and David Hasselhoff.
2006: Editorial Director of First News
In 2006, Piers Morgan became the editorial director of First News.
2006: Press Gazette faces financial issues
Towards the end of 2006, Press Gazette entered administrative receivership before being sold to a trade buyer.
2007: Judging Britain's Got Talent
In 2007, Piers Morgan became a judge on the television talent show Britain's Got Talent.
2007: Appearances on TV shows
In 2007, Piers Morgan was fired on Comic Relief Does The Apprentice. He was also a judge on America's Got Talent and Britain's Got Talent.
2007: End of tenure at First News
In 2007, Piers Morgan's time as the editorial director of First News came to an end.
January 2008: Piers Morgan on Sandbanks
In January 2008, Piers Morgan fronted a three-part documentary about Sandbanks for ITV entitled Piers Morgan on Sandbanks.
February 2009: Piers Morgan On... series begins
In February 2009, Piers Morgan began a three-part series, Piers Morgan On..., visiting Dubai, Monte Carlo, and Hollywood.
2009: Hosting Piers Morgan's Life Stories
In 2009, Piers Morgan began hosting the ITV talk show Piers Morgan's Life Stories.
2010: Piers Morgan On... Second series
In 2010 the show 'Piers Morgan On...' returned for a second series.
2010: End of Britain's Got Talent judging role
In 2010, Piers Morgan's time as a judge on Britain's Got Talent came to an end.
January 2011: Morgan replaces Larry King on CNN
On January 17, 2011, Piers Morgan replaced Larry King on CNN with his show, Piers Morgan Live.
May 2011: Banning Hugh Grant
In May 2011, Piers Morgan banned actor Hugh Grant from his shows on CNN and ITV after Grant criticized the tabloid press.
2011: Hosting Piers Morgan Live on CNN
In 2011, Piers Morgan began hosting the CNN talk show Piers Morgan Live.
September 2012: Banning Kelsey Grammer
In September 2012, Piers Morgan reportedly banned actor Kelsey Grammer from his show after Grammer saw a photo of his ex-wife Camille during the show's opening. This incident led to accusations of an 'ambush' by Piers.
February 2014: Piers Morgan Live cancelled
In February 2014, Piers Morgan Live was cancelled due to poor ratings and ended its run in March 2014. Morgan cited his British perspective on American cultural issues as a contributing factor.
September 2014: Morgan becomes editor-at-large for MailOnline
In September 2014, Piers Morgan was appointed as the first editor-at-large for MailOnline's US operation, contributing several columns each week.
September 2014: Trinity Mirror admits to phone hacking
In September 2014, Trinity Mirror admitted that its journalists engaged in phone hacking and agreed to compensate those affected. The alleged wrongdoings primarily occurred during the early 2000s when Piers Morgan was the Daily Mirror editor, though he has denied involvement.
2014: Editor-at-Large for MailOnline US
In 2014, Morgan became the first editor-at-large of the MailOnline website's US operation.
2014: End of Piers Morgan Live on CNN
In 2014, Piers Morgan's time hosting the CNN talk show Piers Morgan Live came to an end.
April 2015: Guest host of Good Morning Britain
From 13 to 17 April 2015, Piers Morgan guest-hosted five episodes of Good Morning Britain on ITV.
November 2015: Permanent co-host of Good Morning Britain
In November 2015, Piers Morgan became a permanent co-host on Good Morning Britain, appearing alongside Susanna Reid and Charlotte Hawkins.
2015: Co-presenting Good Morning Britain
In 2015, Piers Morgan began co-presenting the ITV Breakfast programme Good Morning Britain alongside Susanna Reid.
March 2016: Interviews Trump on Good Morning Britain
In March 2016, Piers Morgan interviewed Donald Trump on Good Morning Britain.
2016: Killer Women with Piers Morgan
From 2016 to 2017, Piers Morgan presented the TV series Killer Women with Piers Morgan, interviewing female murderers.
January 2017: Morgan challenges Trump views
In late January 2017, on ITV's Loose Women, Piers Morgan stated his disagreements with Donald Trump on issues such as gun control, climate change, and the "Muslim travel ban".
January 2018: Piers Morgan Interview with President Trump
In January 2018, Piers Morgan presented President Trump – The Piers Morgan Interview for ITV, which was viewed by many as "sycophantic."
July 2018: Morgan interviews Trump on Air Force One
In July 2018, Piers Morgan interviewed Donald Trump on Air Force One during his official visit to the UK, in a TV special entitled Piers, The President and Air Force One.
October 2018: Morgan appears on Hollyoaks
In October 2018, Piers Morgan made a cameo appearance on Hollyoaks.
December 2018: Morgan applies for White House Chief of Staff
In December 2018, Piers Morgan wrote a letter to Donald Trump formally applying to become White House Chief of Staff.
June 2019: Morgan interviews Trump at Churchill War Rooms
During Donald Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom in June 2019, Piers Morgan interviewed Trump at the Churchill War Rooms.
2020: End of Piers Morgan's Life Stories
In 2020, Piers Morgan's time hosting the ITV talk show Piers Morgan's Life Stories came to an end.
March 2021: Morgan leaves Good Morning Britain
In March 2021, Piers Morgan departed from Good Morning Britain after a controversy surrounding his remarks about Oprah's interview with Meghan and Harry, which included a heated on-air disagreement with Alex Beresford.
March 2021: Departure from Good Morning Britain
In March 2021, Piers Morgan left Good Morning Britain after facing criticism for his comments on the Oprah with Meghan and Harry interview. The departure led to over 57,000 complaints being lodged with Ofcom, including one from Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Subsequently, Ofcom cleared Morgan of any wrongdoing.
March 2021: Criticism of Meghan Markle's Interview
In March 2021, on Good Morning Britain, Piers Morgan doubted the accuracy of Meghan Markle's statements in her interview with Oprah Winfrey, regarding her mental health and alleged racist comments from the Royal Family. This led to a tense on-air argument with Alex Beresford and Morgan's subsequent departure from the show.
March 2021: Ofcom Investigation Launched
On March 9, 2021, Ofcom launched an investigation into the remarks Piers Morgan made on Good Morning Britain about Meghan Markle's mental health, receiving 41,015 complaints. On March 12, it was confirmed that Meghan Markle had also complained. By March 17, complaints reached 57,000, breaking Ofcom's record.
September 2021: News UK Announces TalkTV with Piers Morgan
In September 2021, News UK announced the launch of TalkTV in 2022, with Piers Morgan as the first signed presenter.
September 2021: Ofcom Clears ITV
In September 2021, Ofcom cleared ITV of any wrongdoing regarding Piers Morgan's comments about Meghan Markle, stating that restricting his views would be a "chilling restriction" on freedom of speech. However, they criticized his "apparent disregard" for the subject of suicide.
2021: Departure from Good Morning Britain
In 2021, Piers Morgan left the ITV Breakfast programme Good Morning Britain.
April 2022: Piers Morgan Uncensored Premieres
In April 2022, Piers Morgan Uncensored premiered on TalkTV, featuring an interview with Donald Trump.
April 2022: Morgan Interviews Trump
In April 2022, Piers Morgan interviewed Donald Trump, where Trump called Morgan a fool and walked out of the interview.
November 2022: Cristiano Ronaldo Interview
In November 2022, Piers Morgan interviewed Cristiano Ronaldo, which later won him the Scoop of the Year award in March 2023.
2022: Hosting Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV
In 2022, Piers Morgan began hosting Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV.
March 2023: Scoop of the Year Award
In March 2023, Piers Morgan won the Scoop of the Year award at the British Sports Journalism Awards for his interview with Cristiano Ronaldo in November 2022.
June 2023: TRIC Award for Interview of the Year
In June 2023, Piers Morgan won the TRIC award for Interview of the Year for his Cristiano Ronaldo broadcast.
November 2023: Naming Royal Family Members
In November 2023, Piers Morgan revealed the names of two members of the British Royal Family on his Piers Morgan Uncensored show, who were alleged to have had conversations about the skin colour of Meghan Markle's baby. This was in reference to an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. The revelation followed journalist Omid Scobie naming the royals in the Dutch version of his book.
December 2023: Morgan implicated in phone hacking
In December 2023, Prince Harry was awarded £140,600 in damages against Mirror Group Newspapers, with a High Court ruling stating that Piers Morgan and other editors were aware of and involved in phone hacking at their publications. Morgan denied the claims, sparking widespread criticism.
February 2024: Piers Morgan Uncensored Moves to YouTube
In February 2024, Piers Morgan announced that Piers Morgan Uncensored would no longer be broadcast on TalkTV and would be shown exclusively on YouTube.
2024: Leaving TalkTV and Moving Piers Morgan Uncensored to YouTube
In 2024, Piers Morgan left TalkTV and moved his show, Piers Morgan Uncensored, to YouTube.
