Stress free: Piers was the picture of calm today in New York with wife Celia Walden, despite pressure for his new show Piers Morgan Tonight to succeed
Piers Morgan has revealed that he is in negotiations with White House advisers about securing an interview with Barack Obama.
The Mail on Sunday columnist, who takes over from legendary CNN chat show host Larry King on Tuesday, has already visited Washington for talks with the President’s representatives about an intimate one-on-one.
Morgan, 45, said he has received ‘good signals’ from the White House since the meeting – and that he expects to finalise plans within months for a pre-recorded world exclusive later this year.
Morgan has already filmed interviews with Hollywood actor George Clooney and chat show hostess Oprah Winfrey for his show, simply called Piers Morgan.
Morgan said: ‘We are definitely trying to get the President and things are looking quite good. We’re getting very good signals that there should be the opportunity to interview him soon.
‘I went to the White House for the first time a few weeks ago which was a real thrill. That was quite something.
‘I met the President’s Press people and was given a tour of the White House. I went to the West Wing and saw the Situation Room.
Touring the city: Piers and Celia spent the day walking around New York
'As a big fan of the West Wing TV series, it was just like being in that.
To be in there was quite a buzz. It was one of the most thrilling things I’ve done.’
Asked if he took home any mementoes of his visit, Morgan added: ‘I thought if I did, they’d try to arrest me.
‘For a while I had a fantastic loo paper collection from all the famous people’s houses I’ve been to. I had Simon Cowell’s loo roll, which is black and monogrammed, next to the Queen’s toilet paper from Buckingham Palace.
‘I collected a lot of that for a while and it would be a nice thing to have some from the White House, but I feared I would find myself in jail.’
Morgan, married to journalist Celia Walden, is expected to draw a global audience of more than 350 million for his new chat show series.
In April he will host a week of shows for the CNN audience from London to mark the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey.
And afterwards Morgan is angling for his next big scoop – the Royal couple’s first interview as husband and wife.
‘I’ve made a formal request to Clarence House and talks are ongoing for the first interview after they are married.
‘I think William should do it. If the guy who’s hosting the most-watched TV show in the world is British, then I think it’s a patriotic duty for William and Kate to do an interview with me,’ he joked.
‘I go back a long way with Prince William.
New home: Piers on the set of his new show Piers Morgan Tonight
Star guest: Oprah Winfrey will be the first guest on Piers Morgan Tonight
'I had an extraordinary lunch with him and his mother, Princess Diana, and William threw an 18th birthday party for a few select people which I was invited to.
‘My family know the Middletons quite well. My sister’s husband was a colonel in charge of training William and Harry at Sandhurst, so my sister entertained the Middletons and the Royal Family when they went down there. I’m flying the flag for Britain in every country.
‘I want to help put the monarchy back where it belongs.’
Source:Dailymail