NEWS'No One Is Controlling Us': Piers Morgan Blasts CNN Stars Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper for 'Looking More Like Podcasters' in Scathing Rant
Podcasters Piers Morgan and Megyn Kelly blasted CNN's Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper for trying to look like them.
March 24 2026, Published 2:12 p.m. ET
British podcaster Piers Morgan recently criticized CNN anchors Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper, mocking what he described as a "cringe" and "desperate" attempt to make their news programs resemble digital podcasts.
During an appearance on “The Megyn Kelly Show” on Monday, March 23, Morgan claimed that CNN is trying to "imitate" the success of independent digital creators to combat falling ratings.
Morgan, who, like Megyn Kelly, transitioned from traditional TV news host to podcaster, argued that CNN's shift in aesthetic is an admission that the traditional cable news model is failing, stating, "Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. They are trying to look like us.”
Piers Morgan blasted the CNN stars.
The former CNN journalist specifically mocked Cooper’s new setup, which features him in the newsroom with his sleeves rolled up and a large, podcast-style microphone.
He called the transformation "completely toe-curling" and took a personal swipe at his former colleague, calling him a "poisonous little backstabber" from their time working together at CNN.
Morgan and Kelly ridiculed Tapper for broadcasting his show, The Lead, from his personal office with a panel squeezed onto a small couch.
Piers Morgan commented on Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper looking like 'podcasters.'
"They've decided if they try to make Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper look more like they are podcasters, people will start listening to them,” Kelly, a former Fox News host, said.
Kelly noted that while CNN has spent millions on high-tech graphics departments, Tapper is now using a "bird’s eye" camera to look at a physical map on his desk, which she called "flushing money down the drain.”
Morgan claimed that despite these visual changes, mainstream stars like Cooper will never achieve the reach of digital-first shows like his own "Piers Morgan Uncensored" because they are "controlled" and lack "strident, honest opinion.”
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Piers Morgan said 'no one is controlling us.'
“Anderson Cooper never expresses an opinion worth listening to anyway, but that's why people turn to us. No one is controlling us, we say what we believe in the moment — strident, honest, opinion,” Morgan quipped.
“When we had our little tear-up about Bad Bunny, 42 million people watched one of those clips of me and you going at it. Anderson Cooper could roll his sleeves up and take all his clothes off, he's not going to get numbers like that!" he added.
The criticism follows a recent experimental shift at CNN to create a more "authentic" and transparent feel.
Tapper explained to viewers that his office is where his team "plots out journalism daily," suggesting the move was intended to offer more transparency.
CNN could face layoffs.
Cooper was moved from behind the traditional anchor desk to a newsroom table repurposed with podcast microphones for him and his guests.
Critics from The Hollywood Reporter noted that million-dollar anchors and large crews trying to look "low-fi" feel inauthentic compared to genuine independent podcasters.
Former executives expressed doubt that a podcast aesthetic would appeal to CNN’s traditionally older cable audience, labeling the network as "late to the party."
Independent media analysts have described the change as a superficial fix that fails to address why audiences are leaving, arguing that the network fundamentally misunderstands the shift in media consumption.
The changes at the OG cable news network aren't just aesthetic, as widespread internal concerns and media reports swirl regarding a potential shift in the network's editorial direction following its acquisition by Paramount Global, led by CEO and President Donald Trump ally David Ellison.
