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 an English journalist and media personality known for his outspoken views and controversial career. He started at The Sun in 1988. He became the youngest editor of a British national newspaper in over 50 years when he was appointed editor of the News of the World at 29 in 1994. He then edited the Daily Mirror from 1995 until his dismissal in 2004. He served as editorial director of First News from 2006 to 2007. In 2014, he became editor-at-large for MailOnline's US operation.

Sections (4)

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

1995: Departure from News of the World

In 1995, Piers Morgan left his position at the News of the World shortly after the publication of photographs of Catherine Victoria Lockwood. This action went against the editor's code of conduct, leading to a complaint upheld by the Press Complaints Commission.

June 1996: "Achtung Surrender!" Headline Apology

In June 1996, as editor of the Daily Mirror, Piers Morgan apologized on television for the headline "Achtung Surrender! For You Fritz Ze Euro Championship Is Over" published on 25 June 1996. The headline referred to the Euro '96 football championships match between England and Germany.

1998: Alleged start of phone hacking

In 1998, phone hacking allegedly started at Trinity Mirror, the parent company of the Daily Mirror, where Piers Morgan later became editor. This was part of a larger scandal that emerged years later.

October 1999: Voicemail Interception Information

During Piers Morgan's tenure as editor, in October 1999, the Daily Mirror was advised by Steven Nott that voicemail interception was possible using a standard PIN code.

2000: Investigation over Viglen Shares

In 2000, Piers Morgan was investigated after an article revealed he had bought shares in the computer company Viglen before the Mirror recommended them. The Press Complaints Commission found he breached the Code of Conduct, but he kept his job.

October 2003: Jeremy Clarkson Incident on Concorde

In October 2003, journalist and television personality Jeremy Clarkson emptied a glass of water over Piers Morgan during the last flight of Concorde.

March 2004: Clarkson Punches Morgan at British Press Awards

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

May 2004: Law Lords Rule in Favor of Naomi Campbell

In May 2004, the Law Lords ruled in favor of Naomi Campbell on privacy grounds after the Mirror published a photograph of her entering a Narcotics Anonymous clinic.

May 2004: Sacked as Daily Mirror Editor

On 14 May 2004, Piers Morgan was sacked as editor of the Daily Mirror after refusing to apologize for publishing fake photographs of alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners by British soldiers.

December 2005: Conviction in Viglen Shares Case

On 7 December 2005, Anil Bhoyrul and James Hipwell were convicted of conspiracy to breach the Financial Services Act related to Viglen shares, and during the trial it was revealed that Piers Morgan had invested £67,000 in Viglen shares.

2006: Newspapers boycott British Press Awards

In 2006, many major newspapers boycotted the British Press Awards, citing Morgan's ownership of Press Gazette as one of the reasons.

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 announced the ban on Twitter, stating it was in perpetuity.

July 2011: Allegation of Phone Hacking for Story

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

July 2011: Operation Weeting Visit to Steven Nott

On 18 July 2011, Steven Nott was visited by officers of Operation Weeting.

December 2011: Appears at Leveson Inquiry

In December 2011, Piers Morgan appeared as a witness at the Leveson Inquiry, admitting to hearing a recording of an answerphone message left by Paul McCartney for Heather Mills, but refused to disclose its source.

2011: Morgan Denies Phone Hacking

In 2011, Piers Morgan denied having ever hacked a phone and stated that he had not published any story obtained from phone hacking, to his knowledge.

February 2012: Heather Mills Testifies at Leveson Inquiry

In February 2012, Heather Mills testified at the Leveson Inquiry, denying she had ever made a recording of McCartney's phone call or played it to Piers Morgan.

March 2012: Feud with Madonna

In March 2012, MTV reported on the strained relationship between Piers Morgan and Madonna, noting that Morgan felt slighted by Madonna and claimed he was 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, recalling a lunch with Piers Morgan in September 2002, where Morgan described how to hack a mobile phone voicemail.

September 2012: Banning Kelsey Grammer

In September 2012, it was reported that Piers Morgan had banned actor Kelsey Grammer from his show after Grammer saw a photo of his ex-wife Camille during the show's opening. Sources suggested it was an ambush, though it was understood Grammer would answer all questions except for images of his ex-wife being shown.

November 2012: Taking on the Tabloids Documentary

In November 2012, the Channel 4 documentary Taking on the Tabloids, featured a 2003 interview with Piers Morgan by Charlotte Church, during which Morgan explained how journalists can access voicemails.

November 2012: Leveson Inquiry Findings Released

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

2012: Criticism of Ramsey Begins

In 2012, Piers Morgan began publicly criticizing Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, leading to Ramsey refusing to shake his hand in April 2015.

2012: Morgan denies meeting Jimmy Savile

In 2012, following the revelation of Jimmy Savile's sexual abuse against children, Piers Morgan claimed he had "never met" Savile, contradicting a 2009 piece he wrote in The Mail on Sunday's Night & Day magazine.

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, after Janet Mock appeared on Piers Morgan Live to discuss her memoir, Redefining Realness, Mock criticized Morgan for describing her as "formerly a man." On February 5, 2014, Morgan and Mock debated the issue in a subsequent appearance.

September 2014: Trinity Mirror admits phone hacking

In September 2014, Trinity Mirror admitted that some of its journalists had been involved in phone hacking and agreed to pay compensation to those who sued. It was reported that the alleged wrongdoing took place when Morgan was the Daily Mirror editor. Morgan has denied any involvement.

April 2015: Ramsey Refusal

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

2015: Detestation from John Cleese

In 2015, John Cleese stated that he "truly detested" Piers Morgan and avoided him in a restaurant. Cleese erroneously stated that Morgan had "admitted" to authorising phone-hacking. The revulsion between them was mutual.

2015: Criticism from Ofcom for Language on Air

In 2015, Piers Morgan received criticism from Ofcom for laughing when a guest repeatedly used the word 'fucking' live on air. Though no action was taken due to an apology from his co-presenter Susanna Reid, Ofcom expressed concern about his 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 Morgan implied Christians were homophobic. However, on April 13, 2016, Ofcom confirmed that Morgan would not be investigated for his comments.

January 2017: Criticism of Women's March and Ewan McGregor Pulling Out of Good Morning Britain

In January 2017, Piers Morgan criticized the Women's March on Washington, describing protesters as "rabid feminists". Ewan McGregor disagreed with Morgan's statements and cancelled his appearance on Good Morning Britain after discovering Morgan would be interviewing him. Morgan then accused McGregor of being a "paedophile-loving hypocrite" for his past support of Roman Polanski.

November 2017: Criticism of Trump's retweet of Britain First

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

2017: Continued Feud with John Cleese

In 2017, John Cleese reiterated his negative feelings towards Piers Morgan, stating that he "always thought he was an awful creep". This continued the ongoing feud between the two.

January 2020: Racism Accusations for Chinese Dairy Advert Comments

On January 21, 2020, Piers Morgan faced accusations of racism and received 1,095 Ofcom complaints for his remarks relating to a Chinese dairy advert, where he said "He's using ching chong ching milk" and "ching chang cho jo". He was accused of using language that antagonizes Chinese people and mocks the Chinese language.

April 2020: Critical article of Trump's COVID-19 handling

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Piers Morgan wrote a highly critical article of Donald Trump's handling of the crisis, particularly regarding the suggestion of "ingesting" disinfectant. Trump unfollowed Morgan on Twitter as a result.

May 2020: Acknowledging "vendetta" against the Duchess

In May 2020, Piers Morgan conceded to Decca Aitkenhead of The Sunday Times that his criticism of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, might have been too personal and that he would temper his comments in the future.

2020: Criticism of Meghan and Harry

In early 2020, Piers Morgan criticized Meghan and Harry for stepping down from royal duties, calling them "the two most spoiled brats in history." He also accused Meghan of influencing Harry to leave his family and country. On January 13, 2020, during Good Morning Britain, Morgan argued with Afua Hirsch about racism in the British media towards Meghan. This led to a call for an advertiser boycott of Good Morning Britain by InfluencHers, due to Morgan's treatment of Hirsch.

March 2021: Oprah Interview Allegations

In March 2021, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey aired where they alleged racist comments from the extended family, which was later a key discussion point in November 2023 when Piers Morgan named the royals allegedly involved on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

March 2021: Departure from Good Morning Britain

In March 2021, Piers Morgan left Good Morning Britain after criticizing the Oprah interview with Meghan and Harry, leading to over 57,000 Ofcom complaints, including one from Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Morgan was later cleared of wrongdoing by Ofcom.

March 2021: Leaves Good Morning Britain after controversy

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

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March 2021: Doubting Meghan Markle's Account and Quitting Good Morning Britain

On March 8 and 9, 2021, Piers Morgan publicly doubted the accuracy of Meghan Markle's statements about her mental health and alleged racist comments within the royal family during her interview with Oprah Winfrey. On March 9, 2021, a heated on-air argument with Alex Beresford led to Morgan walking off the set of Good Morning Britain, and later that day, he quit the show. The mental health charity Mind expressed disappointment in his comments.

March 2021: Ofcom Investigation into Meghan Markle Comments

On March 9, 2021, Ofcom launched an investigation into Piers Morgan's remarks about Meghan Markle's mental health on Good Morning Britain, following 41,015 complaints. On March 12, 2021, it was confirmed that Meghan Markle had also complained. Complaints reached 57,000 by March 17, setting an Ofcom record.

September 2021: Ofcom Ruling on Meghan Markle Comments

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 free speech. However, they criticized his "apparent disregard" for the subject of suicide. Morgan hailed the ruling as a victory for free speech.

April 2022: Interview with Trump turns sour

In April 2022, Piers Morgan interviewed Donald Trump, telling him he lost a free and fair election. Trump responded by calling him a fool and walking out of the interview, calling Morgan “very dishonest”.

June 2023: Prince Harry accuses Morgan of phone hacking

In June 2023, Prince Harry accused Piers Morgan of attacking him and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to dissuade him from his legal action and of hacking his phone and that of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales.

November 2023: Naming Royals Allegedly Involved in Racism Discussion

On November 29, 2023, Piers Morgan revealed on his show, Piers Morgan Uncensored, the names of two members of the British Royal Family who were allegedly involved in conversations about the skin color of Meghan Markle's baby, an issue raised in a March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. This followed journalist Omid Scobie naming the royals in the Dutch version of his book Endgame, which was subsequently pulled from sale. Morgan defended his decision, stating it was "entirely lawful".

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December 2023: Harry awarded damages; judge says Morgan knew of phone hacking

In December 2023, Prince Harry was awarded £140,600 in damages against MGN, with the High Court ruling that 15 out of 33 sample articles were the product of phone hacking. The judge stated that Morgan and other editors knew about the phone hacking. Morgan denied involvement.

2023: Morgan suggests GOP needs DeSantis over Trump

In 2023, Piers Morgan suggested the GOP needs Ron DeSantis over Donald Trump after an interview where DeSantis expressed confidence in beating Joe Biden. Trump responded by attacking both DeSantis and Morgan.

2023: Court Case Evidence of Phone Hacking Knowledge

In 2023, during a court case against Mirror Group Newspapers, truthful evidence was found indicating that Piers Morgan knew about private phone hacking from a reporter and shared a method of phone hacking with a media professional.