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 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.
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.
October 1999: Voicemail Interception Story
In October 1999, during Morgan's tenure as editor, the Daily Mirror was advised by Steven Nott that voicemail interception was possible, but the story did not appear in the paper.
2000: Investigation for Share Purchase
In 2000, Piers Morgan was investigated after purchasing £20,000 worth of shares in Viglen shortly before the Mirror's "City Slickers" column recommended Viglen as a good investment.
September 2002: Lunch with Jeremy Paxman
In September 2002, Piers Morgan and Jeremy Paxman had a lunch in which Morgan outlined the means of hacking a mobile phone voicemail.
October 2003: Jeremy Clarkson's Water Incident
In October 2003, Jeremy Clarkson poured a glass of water over Piers Morgan during the last flight of Concorde due to published photographs in the Mirror.
2003: Interview with Charlotte Church
In 2003, Piers Morgan had an interview with Charlotte Church, where he explained to her how to avoid answerphone messages being listened to by journalists.
March 2004: Clarkson Punches Morgan at British Press Awards
In March 2004, Jeremy Clarkson punched Piers Morgan three times during an argument at the British Press Awards.
May 2004: Law Lords Rule in Favour of Naomi Campbell
In May 2004, the Law Lords ruled in favour of Naomi Campbell on privacy grounds after the Mirror published a photograph of her entering a Narcotics Anonymous clinic. Morgan criticized the judgement.
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: Cleared of Charges
In 2004, Piers Morgan was cleared of any charges by the Department of Trade and Industry.
December 2005: Conviction of "City Slickers" Columnists
On December 7, 2005, Anil Bhoyrul and James Hipwell were convicted of conspiracy to breach the Financial Services Act.
July 2011: Allegations of Publishing Hacked Story
In July 2011, political blogger Paul Staines alleged that Piers Morgan published a story about Sven-Göran Eriksson and Ulrika Jonsson in 2002, knowing it was obtained by phone hacking.
July 2011: Visit by Operation Weeting Officers
On 18 July 2011, Steven Nott was visited by officers of Operation Weeting.
December 2011: Appearing at the Leveson Inquiry
In December 2011, Piers Morgan appeared as a witness at the Leveson Inquiry, admitting to hearing a recording of a Paul McCartney message for Heather Mills but refusing to disclose the source.
2011: Denial of Phone Hacking Involvement
In 2011, Piers Morgan denied any involvement in phone hacking and stated that he had not knowingly published any stories obtained from phone hacking.
February 2012: Heather Mills' Testimony at Leveson Inquiry
In February 2012, Heather Mills testified at the Leveson Inquiry, denying ever making a recording of McCartney's phone call or playing it to Morgan.
May 2012: Jeremy Paxman's Testimony at Leveson Inquiry
In May 2012, Jeremy Paxman testified at the Leveson Inquiry, recalling a lunch in September 2002 with Piers Morgan where Morgan described how to hack a mobile phone voicemail.
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.
November 2012: Taking on the Tabloids Documentary
In November 2012, Channel 4's Taking on the Tabloids documentary showed footage from a 2003 interview where Piers Morgan explained how to avoid answerphone messages being listened to by journalists.
November 2012: Leveson Inquiry Findings
On 29 November 2012, the official findings of the Leveson Inquiry were released, in which Lord Justice Leveson said that Morgan's testimony under oath on phone hacking was "utterly unpersuasive".
2012: Morgan contradicts himself regarding Jimmy Savile
In 2012, following revelations of Jimmy Savile's sexual abuse, Piers Morgan claimed he had never met Savile, contradicting a 2009 piece he wrote stating that Savile praised his TV shows.
December 2013: Interviewed Under Caution by Police
On 6 December 2013, Piers Morgan was interviewed under caution by police officers from Operation Weeting regarding phone hacking allegations.
February 2014: Dispute with Janet Mock
In February 2014, Janet Mock criticized Piers Morgan after an interview on Piers Morgan Live, for describing her as "formerly a man." Mock and Morgan debated the dispute on a subsequent show.
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.
2015: John Cleese's Detestation
In 2015, John Cleese expressed strong dislike for Piers Morgan, stating he "truly detested" him and had avoided him in a restaurant. Cleese erroneously claimed Morgan had "admitted" to authorising phone-hacking. This marked the beginning of ongoing public clashes between the two.
2015: Ofcom Criticism for On-Air Language
In 2015, Piers Morgan was criticized by Ofcom for laughing when a guest used the word 'fucking' repeatedly live on air. While no formal action was taken due to an apology from Susanna Reid, Ofcom expressed concern regarding Morgan's behavior.
April 2016: Ofcom Complaints Regarding Gay Marriage Comments
In April 2016, Ofcom received 70 complaints related to comments made by Piers Morgan during an interview with Richard Page about gay marriage. Viewers felt that Morgan implied Christians were homophobic, but Ofcom did not investigate.
January 2017: Controversy over Women's March and Ewan McGregor
In January 2017, Piers Morgan criticized the Women's March on Washington, leading to Ewan McGregor pulling out of a Good Morning Britain appearance. Morgan then accused McGregor of being a "paedophile-loving hypocrite".
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".
November 2017: Morgan criticizes Trump's retweets
In late November 2017, Piers Morgan criticized Donald Trump for retweeting videos from Britain First, calling them "disgustingly racist far-right extremists."
2017: Continued Clashes with John Cleese
In 2017, John Cleese reiterated his negative feelings towards Piers Morgan, stating that he had always thought Morgan was an "awful creep" and had been avoiding him. This continued the ongoing public feud between the two.
January 2020: Accusations of Racism Over Chinese Dairy Advert Comments
In January 2020, Piers Morgan faced accusations of racism and received 1,095 Ofcom complaints for his comments regarding a Chinese dairy advert, where he used phrases like "ching chong ching milk." He was accused of mocking the Chinese language and antagonizing Chinese people.
April 2020: Morgan criticizes Trump's handling of COVID-19
In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Piers Morgan wrote a highly critical article of Donald Trump's handling of the crisis, particularly his suggestion of "ingesting" disinfectant. Trump unfollowed Morgan on Twitter in response.
May 2020: Morgan reflects on his 'vendetta' against Meghan Markle
In May 2020, Piers Morgan acknowledged that his criticism of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, may have been too personal and promised to temper his remarks going forward.
March 2021: Oprah Interview
During an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Meghan Markle alleged racist comments from the extended Royal Family, regarding the skin color of her baby. This interview would later lead to controversy when Piers Morgan named the alleged family members involved in November 2023.
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: 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.
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.
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 deter his legal action. He also accused Morgan of hacking his phone and that of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
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.
2023: Feud with Trump
In 2023, Piers Morgan said that the GOP needs Ron DeSantis. Trump responded by attacking both DeSantis and Morgan.
2023: Court Case Findings on Phone Hacking
In 2023, a court case found truthful evidence that Morgan knew about private phone hacking, shared a method of phone hacking, and played another's private phone message in the newsroom.
