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Cable television broadcasting industry

Piers Morgan Faces Calls to Return to Britain Over Phone Hacking Scandal

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

CNN's Piers Morgan, known for his celebrity interviews, has come under scrutiny in Britain over allegations of phone hacking, with some lawmakers urging him to return to the country to answer questions about the scandal. However, Morgan's spokesperson said he had no immediate plans to leave the US, and the 46-year-old star appeared to downplay the situation on his Twitter feed. At the center of the allegations is Heather Mills, the ex-wife of Paul McCartney, who accused newspaper group Trinity Mirror PLC of accessing her voice-mail messages. Morgan, who edited the Daily Mirror newspaper between 1995 and 2004, has denied any involvement in phone hacking, but the scandal has reignited calls for him to return to Britain.

Key Takeaways:

  • Heather Mills, ex-wife of Paul McCartney, accused newspaper group Trinity Mirror PLC of accessing her voice-mail messages, citing a phone call in 2001 where a journalist referred to her relationship problems with McCartney.
  • Morgan edited the Daily Mirror newspaper between 1995 and 2004, and some lawmakers have called on him to return to Britain to answer questions about the scandal.
  • Morgan denied any involvement in phone hacking, but has been accused of replaying a tape of a message McCartney left on Mills' cellphone in 2006.
  • Mills identified the journalist who made the phone call, although the BBC bleeped out the name, citing legal reasons, and stated that the journalist was not Morgan.
  • Morgan's spokesperson said he had no immediate plans to leave the US, but he appeared to downplay the situation on his Twitter feed, saying it was "so heartwarming that everyone in U.K.'s missing me so much they want me to come home."
  • Morgan has repeatedly denied having ever ordered anyone to spy on others' voice mails.
  • Mills' allegations echo a claim Morgan made about the couple's fight in 2006, stating that he had been played a tape of a message McCartney had left on Mills' cellphone.

Statistics:

  • Morgan edited the Daily Mirror newspaper between 1995 and 2004.
  • Mills alleged that her voice-mail messages were accessed by a Trinity Mirror PLC journalist in 2001.
  • Morgan replayed a tape of a message McCartney left on Mills' cellphone in 2006.
  • Morgan has repeatedly denied having ever ordered anyone to spy on others' voice mails.

Sources:

  • BCC (BBC News article, exact text and date not provided)
  • Trinity Mirror PLC (newspaper group accused by Mills)
  • Daily Mirror (newspaper where Morgan worked between 1995 and 2004)
  • CNN (Morgan's current employer)
  • Daily Mail (article where Morgan made allegations about McCartney and Mills)
  • Waterloo Region Record (2011 article referencing the scandal, exact date not provided)

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