Anderson Cooper quits 60 Minutes to spend more time with kids

Anderson Cooper is exiting as a correspondent for 60 Minutes to spend more time with his children.

The celebrated US television journalist has reported for the CBS show while working as a full-time news anchor on CNN for nearly two decades. But he has decided not to renew his contract with the top-rated Sunday program, Deadline reports.

Cooper said in a statement, "Being a correspondent at 60 Minutes has been one of the great honours of my career. I got to tell amazing stories and work with some of the best producers, editors, and camera crews in the business. But I have little kids now, and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they still want to spend time with me."

Cooper is dad to two sons, whom he is raising with his former partner and best friend, Benjamin Maisani.

Cooper signed a new deal with CNN late last year, where he also hosts the Sunday show The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, and the podcast and streaming series All There Is.

His exit from 60 Minutes follows ongoing tumult in the network news division.

Donald Trump sued 60 Minutes in October 2024 over the edits that the show made to an interview with Kamala Harris. Although CBS News attorneys deemed Trump's lawsuit baseless, parent company Paramount eventually settled with the US president for $16 million (£11.7 million).

As Paramount engaged in settlement talks with the president's team, the show's executive producer resigned, and later, the head of the news division also departed.