After two decades of award-winning journalism, Anderson Cooper's departure from '60 Minutes' is not about controversy orcareer shifts, but a deeply personal choice centred on family.

Anderson Cooper has officially ended his nearly 20-year stint on '60 Minutes', bringing to a close one of the most respected chapters of his broadcasting career. The veteran journalist delivered an emotional farewell during his final appearance on the CBS programme on 17 May 2026, reflecting on the work that shaped him and the decision that ultimately led him away.

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Cooper first announced his departure earlier this year, explaining that family had become his priority.

In hisstatement, the veteran anchor said he wanted to be present while his children were still young. He shares sons Wyatt and Sebastian with former partner Benjamin Maisani, and their upbringing played a central role in his choice.

'For nearly twenty years, I've been able to balance my jobs at CNN and CBS, but I have little kids now and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they still want to spend time with me,' Cooperexplainedwhen revealing his decision. Reports noted that the demanding schedule had become increasingly hard to sustain.

The journalist has anchored 'Anderson Cooper 360°' on CNN since 2003 while simultaneously working as a correspondent for '60 Minutes'. That dual commitment meant maintaining two major news roles for years.

Although viewers mainly saw Cooper's polished reports on Sunday evenings, the workload behind the scenes was significant.

During his farewell reflections, Cooper explained that '60 Minutes' was effectively a second full-time responsibility layered on top of his CNN role. He revealed that much of the reporting work happened outside regular hours.

'The whole time I've done pieces on "60 Minutes", my full-time job has been over at CNN,' he said. Headdedthat weekends and even holiday periods were often spent preparing stories for the programme rather than taking breaks.

Source: International Business Times UK