By Alex Chen | Monday, 18 May 2026 12:09 PM EDT
Anderson Cooper concluded his 20-year run with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday night.
Cooper said on “60 Minutes Overtime” that balancing two network jobs and prioritizing his young family drove his decision to leave.
Cooper maintained his full-time position at CNN throughout his 20 years with CBS, often using vacation days to complete his “60 Minutes” stories.
“The whole time I’ve done pieces at ’60 Minutes,’ my full-time job has been over at CNN and still is,” Cooper said. “It’s been really challenging to do the kind of work you need to do. I’ve loved it, but it’s been tough.”
Obligations with his two surrogate sons heavily influenced his decision.
“I have a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old, and I want to spend as much time with them as they still want to spend time with me,” Cooper, who is openly gay, said. “That clock is ticking. I don’t think the reality has hit me yet that I’m not going to be doing this anymore — giving up something I’ve watched since I was a kid.”
Reflecting on the show’s legacy, Cooper emphasized that maintaining its high standard of journalism requires time, patience and financial investment.
“I think the independence of ’60 Minutes’ has been critical,” Cooper said. “When you see a ’60 Minutes’ story and you think, ‘That was a really good story,’ it’s because it takes time, patience and money.”
Cooper joined the show in the 2006-07 season after arriving at CNN in 2001, where he covered major events such as the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina.
His recent CBS investigative work uncovered a vessel near Mobile, Alabama believed to be the last slave ship to land in the U.S.
Cooper also urged the network to preserve the show’s core identity.
“I hope ’60 Minutes’ remains ’60 Minutes,’” he stated. “There are very few things that have been around for as long as ’60 Minutes’ and maintained its quality. Things can evolve, but I hope the core of what makes ’60 Minutes’ great remains.”
