Anderson Cooper has officially wrapped up his nearly 20-year run on 60 Minutes.
The veteran journalist signed off from the CBS news program on Sunday, May 17, just three months after announcing his departure at age 58, explaining that he wanted to focus more on family life.
In a farewell 60 Minutes Overtime video posted on YouTube, Cooper reflected on his time with the show and became visibly emotional while delivering his final “I’m Anderson Cooper.”
He shared that working on 60 Minutes had long been a passion project alongside his CNN responsibilities, but balancing both careers became more difficult after becoming a father.
Cooper, who shares sons Wyatt, 6, and Sebastian, 4, with former partner Benjamin Maisani, spoke candidly about missing important moments with his children while traveling for assignments. He recalled feeling emotional during a trip to South Africa after hearing a colleague describe the last time his own son held his hand on the way to school.
“That really stayed with me,” Cooper said, explaining that he wants to spend as much time as possible with his children while they still enjoy having him around.
Although he admitted the reality of leaving hasn’t fully sunk in yet, Cooper acknowledged how hard it is to walk away from a program he admired growing up. “I’ll definitely miss this,” he said.
Cooper joined 60 Minutes in the 2006–07 season while continuing to host CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°, making him one of the few journalists to maintain major roles on both network and cable television simultaneously.
He will remain at CNN, where he recently renewed his contract and continues hosting Anderson Cooper 360° as well as CNN’s annual New Year’s Eve broadcast with Andy Cohen.
During his final segment, Cooper also looked back on some of the more memorable moments from his reporting career, including dangerous wildlife encounters and an accident in Portugal that temporarily affected his eyesight while jet-skiing for an interview.
Looking ahead, Cooper said he hopes 60 Minutes continues preserving the values that made it successful for decades, especially its editorial independence and the trust it has built with viewers.
To close the segment, he repeated his trademark sign-off — “I’m Anderson Cooper” — three times, pausing emotionally before the final delivery.
Earlier this year, Cooper said in a statement that stepping away from the program ultimately came down to wanting more time with his young children after nearly two decades of balancing duties at both CNN and CBS.
His departure also comes during a major transition period for CBS News. Bari Weiss became editor-in-chief of CBS News in October 2025 after Paramount Skydance acquired The Free Press, the media company she founded. Meanwhile, longtime 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens also announced his exit in April 2025.
The network has additionally faced legal and editorial controversy surrounding a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, after Paramount settled a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump for $16 million without admitting wrongdoing.