Why is Anderson Cooper leaving ‘60 Minutes’? Host to exit after nearly two decades of frontline storytelling

After nearly 20 years as a correspondent on 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper has stepped away from the CBS newsmagazine. Known for combining frontline reporting with quiet, personal interviews, Cooper’s tenure spanned wars, disasters, political upheavals and intimate human narratives.

Anderson Hays Cooper, born June 3, 1967, in New York City, is best known as a longtime anchor of CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360° and a correspondent for CBS’s 60 Minutes, roles he held concurrently for two decades.

Cooper joined 60 Minutes in the 2006–2007 television season through a job-sharing arrangement with CNN, a dual-network role in broadcast journalism. Over the years, he delivered investigative reports, in-depth interviews and human-interest pieces that often took him to the front lines of global events and into the lives of those shaped by them. His journey inside the 60 Minutes newsroom placed him in the lineage of journalistic greats he admired growing up, like Mike Wallace, Morley Safer, Ed Bradley and Bob Simon.


In his farewell remarks, Cooper reflected on the privilege of earning people’s trust and the unforgettable moments when it felt like the cameras were no longer there, reported CBS.

Reasons behind the departure

In February 2026, Cooper confirmed he would not renew his contract with 60 Minutes. In public statements, he emphasized that the decision was rooted in family priorities: after nearly two decades of balancing duties between CBS and CNN, he wanted to spend more time with his young children, sons Wyatt and Sebastian, while they “still want to spend time with” him, read his statement to Variety.

Cooper’s exit coincided with significant leadership changes at CBS News. The network, owned by Paramount Skydance and led by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss since late 2025, has faced major restructuring.

CBS News acknowledged Cooper’s contributions, expressing gratitude for his expansive body of work and underscoring that 60 Minutes remains open should he choose to return in the future.

Legacy of reporting and impact

Throughout his tenure, Cooper balanced deep investigative pieces with compassionate storytelling, helping elevate 60 Minutes’ reputation as a bastion of journalism in a rapidly evolving media landscape. His work often traversed cultural, political and humanitarian issues, bringing nuanced and personal perspectives to global audiences.

While 60 Minutes continues with its team of correspondents, Cooper’s departure marks the end of a defining chapter in its modern history. His legacy lies in the countless stories that delved into the human condition and held power to account, and in inspiring a generation of journalists to pursue truth with empathy and rigor.