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 British broadcaster, journalist, and writer. He started at The Sun in 1988 and became the youngest editor of a British national newspaper in over 50 years when he took the helm at News of the World in 1994, at the age of 29. He later edited the Daily Mirror but was fired in 2004. He also served as editorial director of First News and became editor-at-large of MailOnline's American operation in 2014.
1985: Joins 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: Freelance Work at The Sun
In 1988, Piers Morgan began working as a freelance journalist at The Sun, at which point he dropped his double-barrelled name.
1988: Career at The Sun Begins
In 1988, Piers Morgan started his career at The Sun, a tabloid newspaper.
1993: Take That Biographer
During 1993, Piers Morgan became the official biographer of the pop group Take That.
January 1994: Editor of News of the World
In January 1994, Piers Morgan became editor of the News of the World after being appointed by Rupert Murdoch.
December 1994: Recruited for "Bizarre" Column
In December 1994, Piers Morgan was personally recruited by Kelvin MacKenzie, the editor of The Sun, to work on the newspaper's show business column "Bizarre."
1994: Take That Biographer
During 1994, Piers Morgan was Take That's official biographer releasing two books on the group and having exclusive access documenting their meteoric rise.
1994: Editor of the News of the World
In 1994, Piers Morgan was appointed editor of the News of the World by Rupert Murdoch, becoming the youngest editor of a British national newspaper in over half a century at the age of 29.
1995: Editor of the Daily Mirror
In 1995, Piers Morgan became the editor of the Daily Mirror.
1995: Leaves News of the World
In 1995, Piers Morgan left his position at News of the World after publishing photographs of Catherine Victoria Lockwood, then wife of Charles, Earl Spencer, which violated the editors' code of conduct.
February 1997: Rebranding Project
In February 1997, under Piers Morgan's leadership, the Daily Mirror spent £16 million on a rebranding project, including dropping "Daily" from the masthead, a decision that was later reversed.
August 1999: Roy Greenslade on Morgan's Editorship
In August 1999, Roy Greenslade wrote that Piers Morgan's editorship of the Daily Mirror had made a significant difference, highlighting his enthusiasm, determination, and focus as major positives.
1999: Chairs Pride of Britain Awards panel
From 1999 to 2006, Piers Morgan chaired a panel of prominent people to choose the recipients of the Pride of Britain Awards, broadcast on ITV.
2002: Mirror's Mid-Market Move
In 2002, the Daily Mirror, under Piers Morgan's leadership, attempted to move mid-market, reducing coverage of show-business and gossip; Christopher Hitchens was appointed as a columnist, but sales declined.
2003: Presents The Importance of Being Famous
In 2003, Piers Morgan presented a three-part television documentary series for the BBC titled The Importance of Being Famous, focusing on fame and media coverage of celebrities.
May 2004: Sacked as Editor of Daily Mirror
On May 14, 2004, Piers Morgan was sacked as editor of the Daily Mirror for publishing fake photographs allegedly showing Iraqi prisoners being abused by British Army soldiers, and his refusal to apologize for their publication to Sly Bailey, head of Trinity Mirror.
2004: Fired from the Daily Mirror
In 2004, Piers Morgan was fired from his position as editor of the Daily Mirror.
May 2005: Ownership of Press Gazette
In May 2005, Piers Morgan, in partnership with Matthew Freud, acquired Press Gazette, a media trade publication, and the British Press Awards in a deal worth £1 million.
May 2006: Launch of First News
On May 4, 2006, Piers Morgan launched First News, a weekly newspaper aimed at children aged seven to 14, which he described as "Britain's first national newspaper for children". Morgan served as editorial director.
2006: Chairs Pride of Britain Awards panel
From 1999 to 2006, Piers Morgan chaired a panel of prominent people to choose the recipients of the Pride of Britain Awards, broadcast on ITV.
2006: Editorial Director of First News
From 2006, Piers Morgan served as the editorial director of First News.
2006: Judge on America's Got Talent
In 2006, Piers Morgan became a judge on the television show America's Got Talent alongside Brandy Norwood and David Hasselhoff on NBC.
2006: Newspapers Boycott Press Gazette Awards
In 2006, many major newspapers boycotted the Press Gazette awards due to Piers Morgan's ownership of the publication.
2007: Comic Relief Does The Apprentice and Britain's Got Talent Judge
In 2007, Piers Morgan appeared as a celebrity contestant on Comic Relief Does The Apprentice and appeared as a judge for the second season of America's Got Talent and also appeared as a judge on Britain's Got Talent on ITV with Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell.
2007: Judge on Britain's Got Talent
In 2007, Piers Morgan became a judge on Britain's Got Talent.
2007: Leaves First News
In 2007, Piers Morgan left his role as editorial director of First News.
January 2008: Presents Piers Morgan on Sandbanks
In January 2008, Piers Morgan fronted a three-part documentary about Sandbanks for ITV entitled Piers Morgan on Sandbanks.
2008: Wins The Celebrity Apprentice
In 2008, Piers Morgan won The Celebrity Apprentice, appearing with Donald Trump.
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: Hosts Piers Morgan's Life Stories
In 2009, Piers Morgan began hosting the ITV talk show Piers Morgan's Life Stories.
2009: Morgan praises Jimmy Savile
In 2009, Piers Morgan wrote a piece in The Mail on Sunday's Night & Day magazine praising Jimmy Savile.
2010: Leaves Britain's Got Talent
In 2010, Piers Morgan left Britain's Got Talent.
2010: Piers Morgan On... series returns
In 2010, the Piers Morgan On... programme returned for a second series.
January 2011: Replaces Larry King on CNN
On January 17, 2011, Piers Morgan replaced Larry King on CNN's evening line-up with his show, Piers Morgan Live.
May 2011: Piers Morgan Bans Hugh Grant From His Shows
In May 2011, Piers Morgan banned actor Hugh Grant from his shows on CNN and ITV after Grant criticized the tabloid press.
2011: Hosts Piers Morgan Live
In 2011, Piers Morgan began hosting the CNN talk show Piers Morgan Live.
September 2012: Piers Morgan Bans Kelsey Grammer From His Show After Seeing Ex-Wife's Photo
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. Reports suggested Grammer felt it was an ambush, though it was stated he had agreed to answer questions about his ex-wife, only requesting that no images of her be shown.
November 2012: Leveson Inquiry findings released
In November 2012, the official findings of the Leveson Inquiry were released. Lord Justice Leveson deemed Piers Morgan's testimony under oath regarding phone hacking as "utterly unpersuasive", stating that while the evidence didn't prove Morgan authorized hacking, it demonstrated his awareness and lack of concern about the criminal behavior within the press.
December 2013: Interviewed under caution by police
In December 2013, Piers Morgan was interviewed under caution by police officers from Operation Weeting, who were investigating phone hacking allegations at Mirror Group Newspapers during his time as editor.
February 2014: CNN cancels Piers Morgan Live
In February 2014, CNN cancelled Piers Morgan Live after poor ratings, with the show ending its run in March 2014.
March 2014: CNN cancels Piers Morgan Live
In March 2014, CNN cancelled Piers Morgan Live after poor ratings, with the show ending its run in March 2014.
September 2014: Editor-at-large for MailOnline US
In September 2014, Piers Morgan became the first editor-at-large of the MailOnline website's US operation, contributing several columns a week.
September 2014: Trinity Mirror admits phone hacking involvement
In September 2014, Trinity Mirror admitted for the first time that some of its journalists had been involved in phone hacking and agreed to pay compensation. Legal papers indicated the alleged wrongdoing occurred in the early 2000s when Morgan was the Daily Mirror editor.
2014: Piers Morgan Live Ends
In 2014, Piers Morgan Live, the CNN talk show, concluded.
2014: Editor-at-Large of MailOnline
In 2014, Piers Morgan became the first editor-at-large of the American operation for the MailOnline website.
April 2015: Guest hosts Good Morning Britain
From April 13 to 17, 2015, Piers Morgan guest-hosted five episodes of Good Morning Britain on ITV.
November 2015: Becomes permanent co-host of Good Morning Britain
In November 2015, Piers Morgan became a permanent co-host of Good Morning Britain on ITV, appearing alongside Susanna Reid and Charlotte Hawkins.
2015: Co-presents Good Morning Britain
In 2015, Piers Morgan began co-presenting the ITV Breakfast programme Good Morning Britain alongside Susanna Reid.
March 2016: Interviewed Trump on Good Morning Britain
In March 2016, Piers Morgan interviewed Donald Trump on Good Morning Britain.
2016: Hosts Killer Women with Piers Morgan
From 2016 to 2017, Piers Morgan interviewed female murderers on the TV series Killer Women with Piers Morgan.
January 2017: Challenged on Trump support on Loose Women
In late January 2017, Piers Morgan appeared on ITV's Loose Women and was challenged to repudiate Donald Trump, stating his disagreements on gun control, climate change, abortion, and the "Muslim travel ban".
2017: Presents Serial Killer with Piers Morgan
In 2017, Piers Morgan presented Serial Killer with Piers Morgan as part of the Crime & Punishment season on ITV.
January 2018: Presents President Trump – The Piers Morgan Interview
In January 2018, Piers Morgan presented President Trump – The Piers Morgan Interview for ITV, which was viewed by many as sycophantic.
July 2018: Interviews Trump on Air Force One
In July 2018, Piers Morgan interviewed Donald Trump again on Air Force One during his official visit to the UK, in a TV special titled Piers, The President and Air Force One.
October 2018: Cameo appearance on Hollyoaks
In October 2018, Piers Morgan made a cameo appearance on Hollyoaks.
December 2018: Applies to be 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: Interviews Trump at Churchill War Rooms
In June 2019, during Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom, Piers Morgan interviewed Trump at the Churchill War Rooms.
May 2020: Piers Morgan Acknowledges Criticism Over Duchess Comments
In May 2020, Piers Morgan acknowledged that his comments about the Duchess of Sussex may have gone too far and become too personal after being challenged by Decca Aitkenhead of The Sunday Times. He stated that he would try to temper his comments going forward.
2020: Piers Morgan's Life Stories Ends
In 2020, Piers Morgan's Life Stories, the ITV talk show, concluded.
March 2021: Leaves Good Morning Britain
In March 2021, Piers Morgan left Good Morning Britain following controversy over his remarks about Oprah with Meghan and Harry, including a heated on-air argument with Alex Beresford.
March 2021: Piers Morgan Doubts Meghan Markle's Account and Quits Good Morning Britain
In March 2021, Piers Morgan publicly doubted the veracity of Meghan Markle's statements about her mental health and alleged racism within the Royal Family during her interview with Oprah Winfrey. This led to a tense on-air argument with Alex Beresford on Good Morning Britain on March 9th, causing Morgan to walk off set and ultimately quit the show. Mental health charity Mind expressed disappointment in Morgan's comments.
September 2021: News UK Announces Launch of TalkTV with Piers Morgan as First Signee
In September 2021, News UK announced the launch of its new channel, TalkTV, with Piers Morgan as the first personality signed to the network.
2021: Leaves Good Morning Britain
In 2021, Piers Morgan left the ITV Breakfast programme Good Morning Britain.
April 2022: Piers Morgan Uncensored Premieres on TalkTV
In April 2022, Piers Morgan's new show, Piers Morgan Uncensored, premiered on TalkTV, featuring an interview with Donald Trump in its first and second episodes.
November 2022: Piers Morgan Interviews Cristiano Ronaldo
In November 2022, Piers Morgan interviewed Cristiano Ronaldo, a broadcast that would later win awards.
2022: Hosts Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV
From 2022, Piers Morgan hosted the programme Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV.
February 2024: Piers Morgan Uncensored Moves Exclusively to YouTube
In February 2024, Piers Morgan announced that Piers Morgan Uncensored would no longer be broadcast on TalkTV and would instead be shown exclusively on YouTube.
2024: Leaves TalkTV
In 2024, Piers Morgan left TalkTV and moved his programme to YouTube.
September 2025: Highlights Show on Channel 5
Since September 2025, a weekly highlights show from the YouTube episodes of Piers Morgan Uncensored has aired on Channel 5.
September 2025: Weekly Highlights Show From YouTube Episodes Airs on Channel 5
Starting in September 2025, a weekly highlights show from YouTube episodes of Piers Morgan Uncensored began airing on Channel 5.
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