Major Controversies Surrounding Piers Morgan: A Detailed Timeline

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Piers Morgan.

Piers Morgan is a British broadcaster, journalist, writer, and media personality known for his outspoken views. He started his career at The Sun and rose to prominence becoming the youngest editor of News of the World at 29. He later edited the Daily Mirror before being fired in 2004. Morgan also served as editorial director of First News and editor-at-large for MailOnline's American operation. He's a controversial figure, frequently generating headlines with his opinions on various subjects.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1995: Left News of the World

In 1995, Piers Morgan left his position at News of the World after publishing controversial photographs, leading to criticism and public distancing from Rupert Murdoch.

June 1996: Apologized for controversial headline

In June 1996, Piers Morgan apologized on television for the Daily Mirror's headline "Achtung Surrender! For You Fritz Ze Euro Championship Is Over", published before a football match between England and Germany.

1998: Alleged phone hacking as early as 1998

Legal papers indicated that alleged phone hacking at Trinity Mirror could have taken place as early as 1998, with the bulk of the alleged wrongdoing occurring in the early 2000s during Piers Morgan's tenure as Daily Mirror editor.

2000: Investigation for share purchase

In 2000, Piers Morgan was the subject of an investigation after buying shares in Viglen before a positive recommendation in the Daily Mirror, leading to a breach of conduct finding by the Press Complaints Commission.

September 2002: Lunch with Jeremy Paxman

In September 2002, Piers Morgan had lunch with Jeremy Paxman, during which Morgan allegedly outlined the means of hacking a mobile phone voicemail.

2002: Story Published Concerning Sven-Göran Eriksson and Ulrika Jonsson

In July 2011, political blogger Paul Staines alleged that while editor of the Daily Mirror in 2002, Piers Morgan published a story concerning the affair of Sven-Göran Eriksson and Ulrika Jonsson while knowing it to have been obtained by phone hacking.

October 2003: Jeremy Clarkson Emptied Glass of Water Over Morgan

In October 2003, Jeremy Clarkson emptied a glass of water over Piers Morgan during the last flight of Concorde in response to some photographs published in the Mirror.

2003: Interview with Charlotte Church

In 2003, Piers Morgan explained to Charlotte Church how journalists could access voicemails during an interview that was later featured in the Channel 4 documentary Taking on the Tabloids in November 2012.

March 2004: Clarkson Punched Morgan

In March 2004, Jeremy Clarkson punched Piers Morgan three times during an argument at the British Press Awards.

May 2004: Sacked as editor of Daily Mirror

On May 14, 2004, Piers Morgan was sacked as editor of the Daily Mirror after the newspaper published fake photographs allegedly showing Iraqi prisoners being abused by British soldiers.

2006: Newspapers Boycott British Press Awards

In 2006, many major newspapers boycotted the British Press Awards due to Piers Morgan's ownership of Press Gazette. Press Gazette entered administrative receivership toward the end of the year, before being sold.

2007: Segway Accident

In 2007, Piers Morgan fell off a Segway and broke three ribs.

2009: Morgan's Statement in The Mail on Sunday's Night & Day magazine mentioning Jimmy Savile

In a 2009 piece in The Mail on Sunday's Night & Day magazine, Piers Morgan wrote about an encounter with Jimmy Savile, contradicting his later denial of ever meeting him.

May 2011: Banning Hugh Grant from Shows

In May 2011, Piers Morgan banned actor Hugh Grant from his shows on CNN and ITV after Grant criticized the tabloid press. Morgan called Grant a "Tedious little man" on Twitter.

July 2011: Allegations of publishing hacked story

In July 2011, political blogger Paul Staines alleged that Piers Morgan published a story concerning Sven-Göran Eriksson and Ulrika Jonsson in 2002 while knowing it to have been obtained by phone hacking.

December 2011: Appeared as Witness at Leveson Inquiry

On December 20, 2011, Piers Morgan appeared as a witness at the Leveson Inquiry via satellite link and admitted to hearing a recording of an answerphone message left by Paul McCartney for Heather Mills.

2011: Denial of Phone Hacking Involvement

In 2011, Piers Morgan denied ever hacking a phone and stated he had not knowingly published any story obtained from phone hacking.

February 2012: Heather Mills' Testimony at Leveson Inquiry

On February 9, 2012, Heather Mills testified at the Leveson Inquiry that she never made a recording of McCartney's phone call nor played it to Morgan.

March 2012: Reported Bad Relations with Madonna

In March 2012, MTV reported on the strained relationship between Piers Morgan and Madonna, citing Morgan's claims that he felt slighted and lied to by the singer's publicist over the years.

May 2012: Jeremy Paxman's testimony at Leveson Inquiry

In May 2012, Jeremy Paxman testified at the Leveson Inquiry about a lunch in September 2002 with Piers Morgan where Morgan described how to access a mobile phone voicemail.

September 2012: Banning Kelsey Grammer 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 open. Reports suggested the interview was perceived as an ambush.

November 2012: Channel 4 Documentary: Taking on the Tabloids

In November 2012, the Channel 4 documentary Taking on the Tabloids, featured footage from a 2003 interview with Morgan by Charlotte Church, during which Morgan explained how to avoid answerphone messages being listened to by journalists.

November 2012: Leveson Inquiry Findings Released

On November 29, 2012, the Leveson Inquiry's official findings were released, stating that Piers Morgan's testimony on phone hacking was "utterly unpersuasive".

2012: Criticism of Aaron Ramsey

During the 2012-13 season, Piers Morgan criticised Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, leading to Ramsey refusing to shake his hand in April 2015.

2012: Denial of Ever Meeting Jimmy Savile

In 2012, following the revelation of Jimmy Savile's sexual abuse against children, Piers Morgan stated he had "never met" Savile in his lifetime.

December 2013: Interviewed Under Caution in Phone Hacking Investigation

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: Dispute with Janet Mock over Interview

In February 2014, transgender rights activist Janet Mock criticized Piers Morgan after an interview on Piers Morgan Live, because he described her as "formerly a man". Morgan responded that he had "never been treated in such a disgraceful manner" by a guest. They debated the dispute in a subsequent appearance.

September 2014: Trinity Mirror admits phone hacking

In September 2014, Trinity Mirror admitted some of its journalists were involved in phone hacking and agreed to pay compensation to four people who sued. The BBC reported that legal papers showed the alleged wrongdoing took place in the early 2000s when Morgan was the Daily Mirror editor. Morgan denied involvement.

April 2015: Ramsey Refuses Handshake

On April 26, 2015, Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey refused to shake Piers Morgan's hand due to criticism he received from Morgan during the 2012–13 season.

2015: Feud with John Cleese

In 2015, John Cleese stated that he "truly detested" Piers Morgan. Morgan responded that the "revulsion" between them was "mutual".

2015: Ofcom Criticism for Language on Air

In 2015, Piers Morgan was criticised by Ofcom for laughing when a guest repeatedly used the word 'fucking' live on air. While Ofcom took no action due to Susanna Reid's apology, they expressed concern about Morgan's behaviour.

April 2016: Ofcom Complaints Regarding Gay Marriage Comments

In April 2016, Ofcom received 70 complaints about comments made by Piers Morgan during an interview with Richard Page, a Christian magistrate, regarding gay marriage. Viewers felt the comments implied Christians were homophobic; however, Ofcom decided not to investigate.

January 2017: Controversy over Women's March and Ewan McGregor's Boycott

In January 2017, Piers Morgan criticized the Women's March on Washington, leading actor Ewan McGregor to pull out of a Good Morning Britain appearance in protest. Morgan accused McGregor of being a "paedophile-loving hypocrite".

November 2017: Criticism of Trump's Retweet of Britain First Videos

In late November 2017, Piers Morgan criticized Donald Trump after Trump retweeted videos from Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of Britain First, calling them "disgustingly racist far-right extremists".

2017: Continuing Feud with John Cleese

In 2017, John Cleese reiterated his dislike for Piers Morgan, calling him an "awful creep". This continued their ongoing public feud.

January 2020: Racism Accusations and Ofcom Complaints for Chinese Dairy Advert Comments

In January 2020, Piers Morgan was accused of racism and received 1,095 Ofcom complaints for his comments relating to a Chinese dairy advert in which he said "He's using ching chong ching milk". He was accused of mocking the Chinese language.

April 2020: Critical Article on Trump's COVID-19 Handling

In April 2020, Piers Morgan wrote a highly critical article of Donald Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in his column for MailOnline, particularly criticizing Trump's suggestion of "ingesting" disinfectant.

May 2020: Admission of Personal Attacks Against Meghan

In May 2020, during an interview with The Sunday Times, Piers Morgan acknowledged that his criticism of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had become too personal and admitted that he would temper his comments in the future.

2020: Criticism of Harry and Meghan

In early 2020, Piers Morgan described Harry and Meghan as "the two most spoiled brats in history" after they stepped away from royal duties. He also criticized Meghan for allegedly influencing Harry to leave his family and country.

March 2021: Ofcom Investigation into Remarks About Duchess of Sussex's Mental Health

In March 2021, Ofcom launched an investigation after receiving 41,015 complaints regarding Piers Morgan's remarks about the Duchess of Sussex's mental health on Good Morning Britain. It was confirmed that the Duchess of Sussex had also complained.

March 2021: Doubts about Meghan Markle's Interview and Exit from Good Morning Britain

In March 2021, Piers Morgan expressed doubts about the veracity of Meghan Markle's statements regarding her mental health during an interview with Oprah Winfrey. This led to an on-air argument with Alex Beresford on Good Morning Britain, causing Morgan to walk off set and subsequently quit the show. Mental health charity Mind criticized Morgan's comments.

March 2021: Left Good Morning Britain after criticism of Meghan Markle interview

In March 2021, Piers Morgan left Good Morning Britain after criticising the Oprah with Meghan and Harry interview, resulting in over 57,000 complaints to Ofcom.

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March 2021: Left Good Morning Britain

In March 2021, Piers Morgan left Good Morning Britain following a controversy over his remarks about Oprah with Meghan and Harry, which included an on-air argument with Alex Beresford.

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March 2021: Oprah Interview Allegations

In March 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made allegations of racist comments from the extended family during their Oprah interview. Piers Morgan would later reveal the names of the alleged royals involved, leading to further controversy in November 2023.

September 2021: Ofcom Clears ITV But Criticizes Morgan's Disregard for Suicide

In September 2021, Ofcom cleared ITV of wrongdoing regarding Morgan's comments about Meghan Markle, but criticized his "apparent disregard" for the subject of suicide. Morgan hailed the ruling as a victory for free speech.

April 2022: Interview with Donald Trump

In April 2022, Piers Morgan interviewed Donald Trump. Trump called Morgan a fool and walked out of the interview after Morgan told him he had lost a free and fair election.

June 2023: Prince Harry Accuses Morgan of Phone Hacking

In June 2023, Prince Harry accused Piers Morgan of attacking him and his wife, Meghan, to dissuade him from legal action and of hacking his phone and his mother Diana's phone during his case against Mirror Group Newspapers.

November 2023: Naming Royals Alleged to Have Discussed Archie's Skin Colour

In November 2023, Piers Morgan revealed on his show Piers Morgan Uncensored the names of two members of the British Royal Family who allegedly had conversations about the skin color of Meghan's baby, which was originally mentioned during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.

December 2023: High Court Awards Harry Damages Against MGN

In December 2023, Prince Harry was awarded £140,600 by the High Court in damages against MGN, after 15 out of 33 sample articles about him were ruled the product of phone hacking. The court said Morgan and other editors knew about the phone hacking at their publications and were involved. Morgan denied involvement.

2023: Comments on DeSantis and Trump

In 2023, Piers Morgan said the GOP needed "winner" Ron DeSantis, not the "political suicide bomber" Trump. Trump responded by attacking both DeSantis and Morgan.

2023: Court case finds evidence of Morgan's knowledge of phone hacking

In 2023, during a court case against Mirror Group Newspapers, truthful evidence emerged indicating that Piers Morgan was aware of private phone hacking from a reporter.