British journalist and media personality Piers Morgan first gained notoriety as a tabloid editor for his aggressive methods of breaking news and later rose to recognition internationally as a television presenter. He was the host of the CNN discussion show Piers Morgan Tonight. Morgan was raised in the south of England. At the age of 15, he showed an interest in writing by penning an article for a local newspaper about the cricket team in his community. He later pursued a degree in media at Harlow College in Essex. Piers always had a clear idea of what he wanted to do with his life and what he wanted to achieve.
In 1989, he was appointed as the show-business editor at the tabloid The Sun, which at the time was the most widely read daily newspaper in the UK, after working as a reporter for newspapers in south London. The job gave Morgan the opportunity to interact with famous people, and by constantly appearing for pictures with them, he was able to raise his own public profile. In 1994, publishing tycoon Rupert Murdoch rewarded Morgan’s ambition and intelligence by appointing him as editor-in-chief of News of the World, The Sun’s Sunday sister publication. At the age of 28, Morgan became the youngest national newspaper editor in the United Kingdom since 1937.
His newspaper was at the centre of the national discourse thanks to a number of exclusive pieces, including an investigation into security at Buckingham Palace and a first look at the royal butler Paul Burrell’s memoirs. At the same time, Morgan came under fire frequently for his pompous demeanour and seeming contempt for privacy. When it was learned that Morgan had purchased stock in a company just before The Daily Mirror’s financial column recommended it as a sound investment, a scandal broke out in 2000. Although he was unharmed, another issue came four years later when the newspaper printed images that appeared to show British soldiers abusing prisoners during the Iraq War. Morgan lost his job after it was discovered that the photographs were fake.
Like any journalist and media professional, Morgan’s professional life too have been extremely controversial. Morgan was asked to appear as a judge on the American reality television series America’s Got Talent in 2006 by his friend Simon Cowell. In that role, which he held for six seasons, his biting wit and self-assurance led to additional television opportunities, such as a spot on Britain’s Got Talent judging panel and his own interview program, Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, where he grilled public figures like singer Cliff Richard and Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The latter show demonstrated Morgan’s talent for eliciting details about celebrities’ personal lives, and he also drew criticism for it. He also wrote a monthly interview column for the British edition of GQ magazine.
Morgan co-hosted the popular show Good Morning Britain after the pandemic, but he departed because of some controversy between Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle. No matter how many scandals and backlash Morgan has had over the years, one thing that has remained constant and is obvious as the day is his talents and working style, which enable him to communicate difficult knowledge with ease and in a hilarious manner. Morgan is undoubtedly one of the most iconic figures in British culture.
