Piers Morgan ‘to replace CNN veteran Larry King’

Piers Morgan, who set out to carve himself a career in television after being fired as editor of the Daily Mirror six years ago, is rumoured to have landed one of the biggest jobs in American television. He is reportedly set to replace Larry King, the influential host of CNN's Larry King Live.

The 76-year-old King has presented the 8.0 pm show for nearly quarter of a century. But audience figures are on the slide and CNN is known to have been on the lookout for a replacement. They have not commented on media speculation overnight that Morgan (above) is to sign a four-year deal worth somewhere in the region of $7.5m.

If Morgan is confirmed in the job, it would make him one of the first high-profile British presenter on American TV since David Frost in the early 70s. "This could be huge," wrote celebrity blogger Perez Hilton last night. "Who knew Piers was in such demand?"

Morgan is known in the States as a judge on America's Got Talent, and as the winner of The Celebrity Apprentice.

He would likely to step down from his role as a judge on Britain's Got Talent and base himself permanently in the US. With lead judge Simon Cowell recently announcing that he is to reduce his appearances on BGT, the show's future looks uncertain.

Morgan, 45, became the youngest national newspaper editor in more than 50 years when Rupert Murdoch made him editor of the News of the World in 1994 at the age of 28. The paper became notorious for its lack of regard for celebrities' right to privacy.

He was then poached to be editor of the Daily Mirror, where he was forced to apologise for a front-page headline on the day of England's match against Germany in Euro 96, which read: 'Achtung! Surrender!'

He was fired after the Mirror published photographs allegedly showing Iraqi prisoners being abused by soldiers from the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. The photographs were quickly shown to be fakes and, once gain, the paper was forced to apologise for its error. ·