Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan was born Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan on 30 March 1965 in Sussex.
Piers Morgan went to Chailey Comprehensive, Lewes Priory Sixth Form College and Harlow Journalism College.
After a stint with Lloyd's of London, Piers Morgan was a reporter with the Surrey and South London Newspaper Group, before becoming Showbusiness Editor of the Sun from 1989 to 1994.
Piers Morgan was editor of the News of the World from 1994 to 1995. During this period, in September 1994, according to Piers Morgan's diaries, Tony Blair invited Morgan for tea at the Commons, and told him, "I don't want to get chewed up and spat out like Neil Kinnock was by the Sun."
Piers Morgan left News of the World to become Editor of the arch-rival Daily Mirror. A position he held until May 2004, when Morgan was sacked following the Mirror's publication of fake photographs of soldiers seemingly abusing Iraqis.
Andrew Neil, former editor of the Sunday Times, commented about Piers Morgan's departure:
"I think it's very sad. Piers Morgan is a very talented editor, a very talented journalist, but he has brought this upon himself.
"Once it was clear they were fake, he should have made an apology both to the readers of the Mirror and to the British Army, but he decided to tough it out."
Piers Morgan supports Arsenal and in 2004 published "Va Va Voom: a fan's diary of Arsenal's invincible season".
Morgan has also presented a variety of television programmes.
In June 2005, Piers Morgan and Matthew Freud, Rupert Murdoch's son-in-law, bought the UK Press Gazette.
In 2006, Piers Morgan became the editorial director of First News, a national newspaper written by adults for children (mainly aged 9-12).
Along with David Hasselhoff and singer Brandy (replaced by Sharon Osbourne in the second series), Piers Morgan was selected to be a judge on Simon Cowell's TV show in America, America's Got Talent, on NBC.
Piers Morgan, along with Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden, was also one of the judges on Britain's Got Talent.
Piers Morgan's TV career continued, presenting You Can't Fire Me I'm Famous where his guests included Naomi Campbell, Abi Titmuss and Andrew Flintoff; and, in November 2007, ITV announced that Piers Morgan was presenting a three part documentary series about Sandbanks in Dorset.
In 2008, Piers Morgan along with Carol Alt, Stephen Baldwin, Trace Adkins and Gene Simmons amongst others was a candidate on The Apprentice hosted by Donald Trump.
Piers Morgan and Trace Adkins reached the final of Celebrity Apprentice with Piers Morgan ultimately the winner.
