Piers Morgan back in US with News Corp Fox deal

British journalist Piers Morgan has signed a deal with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and Fox News Media to host a new global television show, the companies announced on Thursday.

Morgan, 56, quit as presenter on Britain's main commercial channel ITV in March in a row about Prince Harry and his wife Meghan's claims in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The outspoken former newspaper editor had his CNN show scrapped after three years in 2014 following plummeting ratings.

In addition to his new show, which will air weeknights in Britain, the United States and Australia, he will write two weekly columns for the New York Post and The Sun.

He will also front a series of true crime documentaries and have the follow-up to his anti-cancel culture polemic "Wake Up" taken on by Murdoch's HarperCollins publishing arm.

Morgan, whose time as veteran Larry King's replacement on CNN saw him call for tighter gun controls, enraging gun owners, said he was "thrilled" to return to News Corp.

In the 1990s, he was editor at the News of the World, which Murdoch shut in 2011 after revelations journalists hacked the phone of a murdered schoolgirl.

Morgan said Murdoch was "a constant and fearless champion of free speech" and he wanted his show to be "a fearless forum for lively debate and agenda-setting interviews".

"I'm going home and we're going to have some fun," he said.

Morgan has been dogged by controversy throughout his career, including claims -- denied by him -- that he was privy to a share-tipping scandal at The Mirror.

He edited the tabloid from 1995 to 2004, when he was sacked for publishing fake photographs purporting to show British troops abusing Iraqi prisoners.

Harry has brought legal action against both News Group Newspapers, part of News Corp, and Mirror Group Newspapers over alleged historical phone hacking.

Since leaving GMB, Morgan, who was recently cleared by Britain's broadcasting regulator for his comments about Meghan, was rumoured to have been joining GB News.

The new channel is modelled on Fox News' right-wing, opinion-led output.

Morgan was recently cleared of breaking British broadcasting rules for questioning claims made by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan to Oprah Winfrey earlier this year Kena Betancur, Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS Afp/AFP/File

Australia-born Murdoch, 90, said Morgan was "the broadcaster every channel wants but is too afraid to hire" who says "what people are thinking and feeling".

The show is scheduled to air in early 2022.

© 2021 AFP