History of Piers Morgan in Timeline
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.
March 1965: Piers Morgan's Birth
On 30 March 1965, Piers Stefan O'Meara, now known as Piers Morgan, was born in Guildford, Surrey, to Vincent Eamonn O'Meara, an Irish dentist, and Gabrielle Georgina Sybille (née Oliver).
1988: Joined The Sun
In 1988, Piers Morgan started working as a freelance journalist at The Sun and dropped his double-barrelled name.
1991: Marriage to Marion Shalloe
In 1991, Piers Morgan married Marion Shalloe, a hospital ward sister.
January 1994: Appointed Editor of News of the World
In January 1994, Piers Morgan was appointed editor of the News of the World by Rupert Murdoch.
1994: Identification as a Conservative
In 1994, Piers Morgan identified as a supporter of the Conservative Party, but also expressed admiration for Tony Blair.
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.
February 1997: Daily Mirror Rebranding
In February 1997, under Piers Morgan's leadership, the Daily Mirror underwent a £16 million rebranding project, which included dropping "Daily" from the masthead.
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.
1999: Chaired Pride of Britain Awards panel
From 1999 to 2006, Piers Morgan chaired a panel of prominent people who had chosen the recipients of the annual Pride of Britain Awards broadcast on ITV.
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.
2003: Mirror headline after Bush Segway fall
In 2003, Piers Morgan made a comment in a Mirror headline after former U.S. President George W. Bush fell off a Segway: "You'd have to be an idiot to fall off wouldn't you, Mr President".
2003: 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, about fame and the manner in which celebrities are covered by modern media.
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.
2004: Separation from Marion Shalloe
In 2004, Piers Morgan separated from his first wife, Marion Shalloe.
May 2005: Ownership of Press Gazette
In May 2005, Piers Morgan partnered with Matthew Freud to gain ownership of Press Gazette, a media trade publication, and the British Press Awards, in a deal worth £1 million.
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.
May 2006: Launch of First News
On May 4, 2006, Piers Morgan launched First News, a weekly newspaper aimed at children aged 7 to 14. He served as editorial director and referred to his role as "editorial overlord and frontman".
2006: Chaired Pride of Britain Awards panel
From 1999 to 2006, Piers Morgan chaired a panel of prominent people who had chosen the recipients of the annual Pride of Britain Awards broadcast on ITV.
2006: Judge on America's Got Talent
In 2006, Piers Morgan started as a judge on the television talent show America's Got Talent.
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.
2007: Comic Relief Does The Apprentice & Britain's Got Talent
In 2007, Piers Morgan appeared as a celebrity contestant on Comic Relief Does The Apprentice. He also appeared as a judge on Britain's Got Talent on ITV with Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell, and as a judge for the second season of America's Got Talent.
2007: Judge on Britain's Got Talent
In 2007, Piers Morgan began as a judge on the television talent show Britain's Got Talent.
2007: Segway accident
In 2007, Piers Morgan fell off a Segway and broke three ribs. This event was mocked by Simon Cowell, referencing Morgan's 2003 comment about George W. Bush falling off a Segway.
January 2008: Piers Morgan on Sandbanks
In January 2008, Piers Morgan fronted a three-part documentary about Sandbanks for ITV entitled Piers Morgan on Sandbanks.
2008: Divorce from Marion Shalloe
In 2008, Piers Morgan divorced his first wife, Marion Shalloe.
2008: Won The Celebrity Apprentice US
In 2008, Piers Morgan won The Celebrity Apprentice US.
February 2009: Piers Morgan On... series begins
In February 2009, Piers Morgan began a three-part series, Piers Morgan On..., which saw him visit Dubai, Monte Carlo and Hollywood.
2009: Hosted Piers Morgan's Life Stories
In 2009, Piers Morgan began hosting the ITV talk show Piers Morgan's Life Stories.
2009: Morgan mentions meeting Jimmy Savile
In 2009, Piers Morgan wrote a piece in The Mail on Sunday's Night & Day magazine mentioning that he had met Jimmy Savile. This was later contradicted in 2012.
June 2010: Marriage to Celia Walden
On June 24, 2010, Piers Morgan married journalist Celia Walden, daughter of former Conservative MP George Walden, in Swinbrook, Oxfordshire.
2010: Piers Morgan On... returns for a second series
In 2010, Piers Morgan On... returned for a second series, when Morgan visited Las Vegas in one episode.
2010: Left Britain's Got Talent
In 2010, Piers Morgan finished his role as a judge on Britain's Got Talent.
January 2011: Piers Morgan Live debut
On January 17, 2011, Piers Morgan replaced Larry King in CNN's evening line-up with his show, Piers Morgan Live.
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: Hosted Piers Morgan Live on CNN
In 2011, Piers Morgan began hosting the CNN talk show Piers Morgan Live.
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: Piers Morgan Live cancellation
In February 2014, Piers Morgan Live was cancelled due to poor ratings and ended its run in March 2014.
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.
March 2014: Piers Morgan Live ends its run
In March 2014, Piers Morgan Live ended its run due to poor ratings after it was cancelled in February 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 and began writing several columns a week.
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.
2014: End of Piers Morgan Live on CNN
In 2014, Piers Morgan stopped hosting Piers Morgan Live on CNN.
April 2015: Guest host of Good Morning Britain
From April 13 to 17, 2015, Piers Morgan guest-hosted five episodes of Good Morning Britain on ITV.
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.
November 2015: 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: 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: Started Good Morning Britain
In 2015, Piers Morgan began co-presenting the ITV Breakfast programme Good Morning Britain.
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.
2015: Voting for the Animal Welfare Party
In the 2015 general election, Piers Morgan voted for the Animal Welfare Party due to his low opinion of the main party leaders.
March 2016: Interviewed Trump on Good Morning Britain
In March 2016, Piers Morgan interviewed Donald Trump on Good Morning Britain.
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.
2016: Killer Women with Piers Morgan
From 2016 to 2017, Piers Morgan interviewed female murderers on the TV series Killer Women with Piers Morgan.
2016: Voting Against Brexit
In the 2016 EU referendum, Piers Morgan voted against Brexit.
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.
January 2017: Challenged on Trump views on Loose Women
In late January 2017, Piers Morgan appeared on ITV's Loose Women panel show and was challenged to repudiate Donald Trump.
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: Serial Killer with Piers Morgan
From 2016 to 2017, Piers Morgan interviewed female murderers on the TV series Killer Women with Piers Morgan. He also presented Serial Killer with Piers Morgan, as part of the 2017 Crime & Punishment season on ITV.
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 2018: 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: Interview with Trump on Air Force One
In July 2018, Piers Morgan interviewed Donald Trump again during his official visit to the UK on Air Force One, in a TV special entitled Piers, The President and Air Force One.
October 2018: Cameo on Hollyoaks
In October 2018, Piers Morgan appeared as a cameo on Hollyoaks.
December 2018: Applied to become 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: Interview with Trump at Churchill War Rooms
During Donald Trump's state visit to the United Kingdom in June 2019, Piers Morgan interviewed Trump at the Churchill War Rooms.
2019: Voting for the Conservative Candidate
In the 2019 general election, Piers Morgan voted for the Kensington Conservative candidate because of Boris Johnson's commitment to honour the result of the Brexit referendum.
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: End of Piers Morgan's Life Stories
In 2020, Piers Morgan hosted his final episode of Piers Morgan's Life Stories.
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.
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.
July 2021: Developing COVID-19
On July 24, 2021, Piers Morgan announced that he had contracted COVID-19 after the Euro 2020 final, despite being fully vaccinated.
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.
September 2021: News UK Announces TalkTV with Piers Morgan
On September 16, 2021, News UK announced the launch of TalkTV in 2022, with Piers Morgan as the first major signing.
2021: Left Good Morning Britain
In 2021, Piers Morgan left Good Morning Britain.
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”.
April 2022: Launch of Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV
Piers Morgan began hosting Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV from April 25, 2022, with the first episodes featuring an interview with Donald Trump. However, viewership declined significantly within a week.
November 2022: Cristiano Ronaldo Interview
In November 2022, Piers Morgan conducted an interview with Cristiano Ronaldo that later won him the Scoop of the Year award at the British Sports Journalism Awards in March 2023.
2022: Hosted Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV
In 2022, Piers Morgan began hosting the program Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV.
March 2023: British Sports Journalism Award
In March 2023, Piers Morgan won the Scoop of the Year award at the British Sports Journalism Awards for his November 2022 interview with Cristiano Ronaldo.
June 2023: TRIC Award for Interview of The Year
In June 2023, Piers Morgan won the TRIC award for the Interview of The Year for his broadcast with Cristiano Ronaldo.
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".
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.
February 2024: Piers Morgan Uncensored moves to YouTube
In February 2024, Piers Morgan announced that Piers Morgan Uncensored would no longer be broadcast on TalkTV and would be shown exclusively on YouTube.
November 2024: Identification as a Centrist
In November 2024, Piers Morgan identified as a centrist, stating that "woke liberals are too loony-left for me".
2024: Left TalkTV, moved Piers Morgan Uncensored to YouTube
In 2024, Piers Morgan left TalkTV and moved his program Piers Morgan Uncensored to YouTube.
2024: Portrayal in 'Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story'
In 2024, Robert Glenister played Piers Morgan in the BBC miniseries Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story.
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