Don't Expect A New Face To Replace Anderson Cooper On 60 Minutes

Anderson Cooper's last episode of "60 Minutes" aired on May 17, 2026. Arguably the most prominent host of the CBS-backed program, Cooper filmed his final segment three months after announcing that he was walking away from the lucrative gig. The veteran journalist, who'd held the position for 20 years, cited a desire to prioritize his family. "I've got a 4-year-old and a just now 6-year-old, and I want to spend as much time with them as I can while they still want to spend time with me," Anderson explained on an episode of "60 Minutes Overtime," (via People). 

As the beloved TV personality acknowledged, "And those days, that clock is ticking, I think." Although "60 Minutes" was home to more than a few cringey interviews over the years, it's been a pillar of the weekend news lineup for decades. Much of that success, especially in more recent years, was down to Cooper. With his departure, you'd think CBS execs would be scrambling to find a big name to replace him. And yet, according to the New York Post, controversial CBS News Editor-In-Chief Bari Weiss and her staff aren't rushing to fill the hole Cooper has left behind with a singular personality. Instead, they're reportedly utilizing the company's existing on-air talent.

Although Anderson Cooper cited wanting to spend more time with his children as the main reason for ditching "60 Minutes," it's been heavily implied that his exit was at least partially because he just wasn't seeing eye to eye with Bari Weiss, whose editorial practices — including axing an interview covering the treatment of migrants in an El Salvadoran prison — didn't align with his. What reportedly tipped the scales in the end was Cooper's friend, Bravo bigwig Andy Cohen, who encouraged him to leave. "Andy absolutely told him it was time," an insider divulged to Rob Shuter, for his Naughty But Nice Substack. "Andy felt Anderson was being squeezed out. Segments were micromanaged. His judgment was second-guessed. It became untenable." Of course, the veteran journalist has plenty to occupy his time even without "60 Minutes." 

Despite the many signs that Anderson Cooper had been ready to leave CNN for years, he only renegotiated his contract with the network in December 2025. That shouldn't come as a shock, of course, given that Cooper, who makes millions with CNN, considers his work with the news network his main job. "The whole time I've done pieces for '60 Minutes,' my full-time job has been over at CNN and still is," he shared during the May 17 "60 Minutes" broadcast (via People). "And it's been really challenging to do the kind of work you need to do to have a great 60 Minutes piece." Notably, given what we know now, Cooper continued, "CNN doesn't like it if I take a lot of time off to work on a '60 Minutes' piece, so I've worked mostly for '60 Minutes' on weekends."