There was a time — possibly — when the brand of journalism practiced by Piers Morgan could be described as “provocative.” That was the idea, at least. Deliberately so.
Morgan rose to prominence in 1994, when at just 29, he became the youngest editor of a British national newspaper, appointed to helm News of the World by Rupert Murdoch. The tabloid, known for its lurid headlines and celebrity gossip, was shuttered in 2011 after revelations that its journalists had hacked phones on an industrial scale.
While Morgan had moved on by then — taking the reins at the Daily Mirror, a left-leaning rival — his own ethical standards didn’t exactly surpass those of his former newsroom. In a 2023 ruling, a UK High Court found that phone hacking at The Mirror and its sister papers was “habitual and widespread.” Prince Harry was awarded £140,600 in damages, and the court concluded that Morgan was aware of the illegal activity while serving as editor. Morgan has repeatedly denied any knowledge of it.
And yet, a Teflon-like Morgan has weathered every scandal, continuing to land lucrative gigs across television and publishing.
But we digress, though it’s a useful digression. It tells you something important about the man: namely, his relationship with the truth.
These days, Morgan hosts Piers Morgan Uncensored, now broadcast exclusively on YouTube after a brief stint on UK channel TalkTV, where the show’s ratings plummeted from a premiere of 316,800 viewers to just 61,700.
Out in the algorithm-driven wilds of YouTube, where attention spans are short and creators fight to see who can drive the most outrage and therefore engagement, Morgan has also had to compete. What once passed for “provocative” is now too tame. Shock is the new standard, and Morgan is all in.
Piers Morgan Uncensored: A Platform for Mossad/JFK Conspiracies
As Israel’s war against Hamas has continued — a war that began when Hamas terrorists stormed across the border on October 7, 2023, massacring some 1,200 Israelis — Morgan has had to evolve his tactics to keep the outrage machine running.
That’s how, in November 2024, he ended up interviewing Dan Bilzerian — a self-styled businessman and internet provocateur who has called the Holocaust a hoax, claimed Israel was behind 9/11, and suggested the Mossad organized Jeffrey Epstein’s private island.
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Morgan knew exactly what he was doing. Bilzerian wasn’t invited to illuminate the conflict or contribute anything remotely insightful. He was booked because his deranged conspiracies guaranteed viral clips. And right on cue, Bilzerian delivered: Israel assassinated JFK. Israel killed Libyan dictator Gaddafi. Mossad controls everything.
Morgan, to his credit, did push back, calling Bilzerian a “brazen antisemite,” but without letting his composure slip. After all, the goal was never to challenge; it was to clip and share.
The formula worked. But virality has an appetite. Yesterday’s scandal is today’s standard. Morgan needed a new hit.
Piers’ Pivot
Which brings us to June 3, and one of Morgan’s most unhinged episodes to date — not because of anything his guest said, but because of how Morgan behaved.
His guest, British barrister and international law expert Natasha Hausdorff, presented a calm, fact-based case for Israel’s right to self-defense. Morgan responded by shouting her down, accusing her of lying, and interrupting her repeatedly.
In short, Morgan reserved more outrage for a composed lawyer than for a ranting Holocaust denier.
In the days that followed, Hausdorff noted on X: “Piers Morgan asks for the truth but refuses to hear it.” A fair comment, given the footage.
Morgan’s response? “It certainly wasn’t coming out of your disingenuous mouth…”
When shown the montage of him interrupting her dozens of times, he doubled down: “Perhaps that gives you some idea of how many times she was spewing bullsh*t…”
Professional, as ever.
Under growing criticism, Morgan attempted damage control via Substack, insisting he had “not switched sides,” that he wasn’t “anti-Israel,” and, with apparent sincerity, claimed: “The truth is that I’m not on any side and never have been. That’s not my job as a journalist.”
But Piers Morgan is not a journalist. He’s a shock jock with a YouTube show. His job is to generate outrage, not to clarify truth. And if that means he needs to shout down an expert in international law to keep the views rolling — so be it.
The irony, of course, is that Morgan’s program has attracted precisely the kind of guests who do have something to say. Hausdorff, Douglas Murray, and Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely have all appeared on Uncensored, drawn by the platform’s reach and the hope that, just maybe, a sliver of truth might cut through the noise.
But is it worth it anymore, sitting across from a man who now behaves like his most unhinged guests, shouting over facts and steamrolling any viewpoint that might interrupt his performance? Any sliver of truth risks being drowned out before it can be heard.
In the end, Uncensored is not journalism. It is content. And Piers Morgan is not interested in uncovering truth, only in courting publicity.
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