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, and he rose to become the youngest editor of a British national newspaper in over 50 years when he took the helm at News of the World in 1994. He later edited the Daily Mirror but was dismissed in 2004. He also served as editorial director of First News and became the editor-at-large of MailOnline's US operation in 2014.

Sections (4)

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

1939: Parodied Neville Chamberlain's Declaration of War

In June 1996, Piers Morgan published an open letter parodying Neville Chamberlain's declaration of war on Germany in 1939, as a joke before the Euro '96 England vs. Germany match.

1995: Left News of the World After Publishing Controversial Photographs

In 1995, Piers Morgan left his position as editor of News of the World after publishing photographs of Catherine Victoria Lockwood, then wife of Charles, Earl Spencer, violating the editors' code of conduct.

June 1996: Apologized for "Achtung Surrender!" Headline

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

October 1999: Voicemail Interception Story

During Piers Morgan's tenure as editor, the Daily Mirror was advised by Steven Nott in October 1999 that voicemail interception was possible, but the story didn't appear in the paper at the time.

2000: Investigation for Share Purchase

In 2000, Piers Morgan was investigated after Suzy Jagger revealed he had bought £20,000 worth of shares in Viglen before the Mirror's "City Slickers" column tipped it as a good buy.

September 2002: Lunch with Jeremy Paxman

In September 2002, Piers Morgan had lunch with Jeremy Paxman, during which Morgan outlined the means of accessing mobile phone voicemails.

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

In 2002, Piers Morgan published a story in the Daily Mirror concerning the affair of Sven-Göran Eriksson and Ulrika Jonsson.

October 2003: Jeremy Clarkson Emptied Water Over Piers Morgan

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

2003: Interview with Charlotte Church

In 2003, Piers Morgan interviewed Charlotte Church, during which he explained how to avoid journalists accessing answerphone messages.

March 2004: Jeremy Clarkson Punched Piers Morgan

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

May 2004: Law Lords Found in Favor of Naomi Campbell

In May 2004, in Campbell v MGN Ltd, the Law Lords found in favor of Naomi Campbell on privacy grounds after the Mirror published a photograph of her entering a Narcotics Anonymous clinic, leading to criticism from Morgan.

May 2004: Sacked as Editor of the Daily Mirror

On 14 May 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 by Department of Trade and Industry

In 2004, the Department of Trade and Industry cleared Piers Morgan of any charges related to the Viglen share purchase investigation.

December 2005: Conviction of 'City Slickers' Columnists

On 7 December 2005, Anil Bhoyrul and James Hipwell, the 'City Slickers' columnists, were convicted of conspiracy to breach the Financial Services Act, during which it emerged that Piers Morgan had bought £67,000 worth of Viglen shares.

May 2011: Banning Hugh Grant from CNN and ITV Shows

In May 2011, Piers Morgan banned actor Hugh Grant from his shows on CNN and ITV after Grant spoke out against the tabloid press. Morgan announced the ban on Twitter, calling Grant a "tedious little man."

July 2011: Allegations of Publishing Hacked Story

In July 2011, Paul Staines alleged that Piers Morgan published a story about Sven-Göran Eriksson and Ulrika Jonsson's affair in 2002, knowing it was obtained by phone hacking.

July 2011: Steven Nott Visited by Operation Weeting Officers

On 18 July 2011, Steven Nott, who had advised the Daily Mirror on voicemail interception, was visited by officers of Operation Weeting.

December 2011: Appeared at the Leveson Inquiry

In December 2011, Piers Morgan appeared as a witness at the Leveson Inquiry via satellite link from the United States and admitted to hearing a recording of an answerphone message left by Paul McCartney for Heather Mills, but refused to disclose the source.

2011: Denied Phone Hacking Involvement

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

February 2012: Heather Mills' Testimony at Leveson Inquiry

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

March 2012: MTV Reports on Morgan's Bad Relations with Madonna

On March 28, 2012, MTV reported on the strained relationship between Piers Morgan and Madonna, noting that "Morgan has apparently felt slighted over the years by Madonna...he claims he was lied to by the singer's publicist."

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 where Piers Morgan explained how to hack mobile phone voicemails.

September 2012: Banning Kelsey Grammer After Photo Incident

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 and left. TVGuide reported that Grammer saw footage that included a picture of his ex-wife. Fox 11 Los Angeles called it an ambush, while The Huffington Post noted Grammer's request not to show images of his ex-wife.

November 2012: Channel 4 Documentary Featuring 2003 Interview

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

November 2012: Release of Leveson Inquiry Findings

In November 2012, the official findings of the Leveson Inquiry were released, with Lord Justice Leveson stating that Piers Morgan's testimony on phone hacking was "utterly unpersuasive" and that he was aware of criminal behavior within the press.

2012: Criticism During the 2012-13 Season

During the 2012-13 season, Piers Morgan was critical of Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, leading to Ramsey's refusal to shake Morgan's hand in April 2015.

2012: Contradiction regarding Jimmy Savile

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

December 2013: Interviewed under caution in phone hacking investigation

On 6 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 Description

In February 2014, transgender advocate Janet Mock appeared on Piers Morgan Live to discuss her memoir, Redefining Realness. After the initial interview, Mock criticized Morgan for describing her as "formerly a man" through tweets. On February 5, 2014, she reappeared on the show to debate the dispute.

September 2014: Trinity Mirror admits to phone hacking

In September 2014, Trinity Mirror admitted some journalists were involved in phone hacking and agreed to pay compensation. The alleged wrongdoing took place in the early 2000s when Morgan was the Daily Mirror editor. Morgan has denied any involvement.

April 2015: Aaron Ramsey Refuses to Shake Morgan's Hand

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. Morgan responded by calling Ramsey 'whatshisname'.

2015: John Cleese's Detestation of Piers Morgan

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

2015: Ofcom Criticism for Language on Air

In 2015, Ofcom criticized Piers Morgan for laughing when a guest repeatedly used the word 'fucking' live on air. Although no formal action was taken due to an apology from his co-presenter Susanna Reid, the watchdog expressed concern about his behavior.

April 2016: Ofcom Complaints Regarding Comments on Gay Marriage

In April 2016, Ofcom received 70 complaints regarding comments made by Piers Morgan during an interview with Richard Page about gay marriage, where viewers felt his comments implied Christians were homophobic. However, on April 13, 2016, Ofcom confirmed that Morgan would not be investigated for his comments.

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 Ewan McGregor to cancel his appearance on Good Morning Britain. Morgan then accused McGregor of being a "paedophile-loving hypocrite" due to McGregor's support of Roman Polanski.

November 2017: Criticized Trump for retweeting Britain First videos

In late November 2017, Piers Morgan criticized Donald Trump after Trump retweeted Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the far-right fascist party Britain First, calling the videos unverified and disgustingly racist.

2017: Cleese and Morgan's Ongoing Feud

In 2017, John Cleese reiterated his dislike for Piers Morgan, stating, "I always thought he was an awful creep". This was part of an 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 comments he made on Good Morning Britain relating to a Chinese dairy advert, including using phrases that were considered mocking of the Chinese language. Specifically on January 21, 2020, he was accused of using language to antagonize Chinese people.

April 2020: Criticized Trump's handling of COVID-19 crisis

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

May 2020: Admission of Personal Vendetta

In May 2020, Piers Morgan conceded to Decca Aitkenhead of The Sunday Times that his criticism of Meghan Markle might have been too personal and indicated he would moderate his approach going forward. He acknowledged that it was probably not wise as a columnist to make things too personal.

2020: Criticism of Harry and Meghan

In early 2020, after Harry and Meghan stepped away from royal duties, Piers Morgan harshly criticized them, labeling them "the two most spoiled brats in history." He also accused Meghan of influencing Harry to abandon his family and responsibilities. In January 2020, during a Good Morning Britain segment, Morgan defended against accusations of racist media treatment towards Meghan, leading to calls for an advertiser boycott due to his perceived disrespect towards women.

March 2021: Left Good Morning Britain After Criticism of Meghan Markle Interview

In March 2021, Piers Morgan left Good Morning Britain after criticizing the Oprah with Meghan and Harry interview. Ofcom received over 57,000 complaints, but Morgan was cleared of wrongdoing.

March 2021: Left Good Morning Britain

In March 2021, Piers Morgan left Good Morning Britain following controversy over his remarks about Oprah with Meghan and Harry.

March 2021: Royal Family Racism Allegations

In March 2021, during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry alleged racist comments from the extended Royal Family. This interview became a focal point in the controversy surrounding Meghan and Harry's relationship with the Royal Family.

March 2021: Doubting Meghan Markle's Account and Subsequent Exit from Good Morning Britain

In March 2021, following the Oprah interview with Meghan and Harry, Piers Morgan publicly doubted the accuracy of Meghan Markle's statements about her mental health struggles and allegations of racism within the royal family. On March 9, 2021, a heated on-air exchange with Alex Beresford, who criticized Morgan's persistent negative comments about Meghan, led to Morgan storming off the set of Good Morning Britain and ultimately quitting the show later that day. The mental health charity Mind expressed disappointment in his comments.

March 2021: Ofcom Investigation into Remarks About Meghan Markle's Mental Health

On March 9, 2021, Ofcom launched an investigation after receiving 41,015 complaints about Piers Morgan's remarks on Good Morning Britain regarding Meghan Markle's mental health. On March 12, 2021, it was confirmed that Meghan Markle had also complained. By March 17, complaints reached 57,000, breaking Ofcom's record. Despite this, Morgan remained defiant.

April 2022: Interview with Donald Trump

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

November 2023: Naming Royal Family Members Allegedly Involved in Racism Discussion

On November 29, 2023, Piers Morgan revealed on his show Piers Morgan Uncensored the names of two British Royal Family members who allegedly discussed Meghan Markle's baby's skin color, which was initially mentioned in the March 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview. This followed Omid Scobie's book 'Endgame' identifying the royals in its Dutch version, leading to the book being pulled from sale. Morgan defended his actions, asserting they were lawful.

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December 2023: High Court awards damages to Prince Harry against MGN; Morgan denies involvement

On 15 December 2023, Prince Harry was awarded £140,600 in damages against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) by the High Court, which ruled that 15 out of 33 sample articles about him were the product of phone hacking or unlawful information gathering. The court stated that Morgan and other editors knew about and were involved in the phone hacking at their publications. In response, Morgan denied any involvement and reviled Harry.

2023: Implicated in Phone Hacking Knowledge

In 2023, during a court case against Mirror Group Newspapers, truthful evidence indicated Piers Morgan knew about private phone hacking from a reporter, shared a phone hacking method, and played another's private phone message in the newsroom.