Anderson Cooper ends two-decade tenure on ‘60 Minutes’ in emotional final segment
The journalist said the reality of leaving the show had not fully set in
Anderson Cooper has marked the end of his nearly two-decade run on 60 Minutes with an emotional farewell, telling viewers he will miss the iconic newsmagazine as he steps away to focus on family life.
In a final “60 Minutes Overtime” segment shared on Sunday, May 17, the 58-year-old journalist reflected on his long tenure with CBS, describing his departure as bittersweet and admitting the reality of leaving had not fully sunk in.
“I don’t think the reality has really hit me that I’m not gonna be doing this any longer,” Cooper said. “To give up something that you’ve watched since you were a kid… yeah, I will miss this.”
Cooper, who joined 60 Minutes during the 2006–07 season while continuing his role at CNN, said the decision was driven by the demands of fatherhood. He shares two young children, Wyatt, 6, and Sebastian, 4, with his former partner Benjamin Maisani.
Recalling a trip to South Africa while working on a segment, Cooper said he was struck by how quickly time with his children is passing. He described becoming emotional after hearing a colleague’s story about missing small family moments at home.
“I almost started to cry,” he said. “I’ve got a 4-year-old and a just-now 6-year-old, and I want to spend as much time with them as I can while they still want to spend time with me.”
He added that balancing international reporting with parenting had become increasingly difficult, noting that “that clock is ticking.”
During the farewell segment, Cooper also looked back on some of his most memorable assignments, including dangerous field reporting such as diving with crocodiles and a moment in Portugal where he temporarily lost part of his eyesight while jet-skiing for an interview.
Despite stepping away, Cooper praised the legacy of 60 Minutes, calling it one of the few programs that has maintained consistent quality over decades.
“There are very few things that have been around as long as 60 Minutes has and maintained the quality that it has,” he said, adding that while the show should continue to evolve, its core values must remain intact.
He also emphasized the importance of editorial independence and viewer trust, describing both as central to the program’s long-standing success.
Cooper closed his final appearance by delivering his signature sign-off three times, pausing visibly emotional before saying goodbye for the last time.
