Anderson Cooper signed off from 60 Minutes after 20 years on Sunday, paying tribute to the newsmagazine’s legacy, quality and independence.
Cooper announced in February that he would be exiting the show, deciding not to renew his contract in which he has done dual duty as a correspondent for the show while still anchoring full-time for CNN.
“I don’t think the reality has hit me that I’m not going to be doing this any longer, you know to give up something you’ve watched since you were a kid,” Cooper said in a segment that was posted to 60 Minutes Overtime. “Yeah, I will miss this.”
“I hope 60 Minutes remains 60 Minutes. There’s very few things that have been around as long as 60 Minutes has and maintained the quality that it has. And things can always evolve and change, and I think that’s awesome. And things should evolve and change, but I hope the core of what 60 Minutes is always remains.”
He added, “I think the independence of 60 Minutes has been incredible. I think also the variety of stories. And I think the trust it has with viewers is critical to the success of 60 Minutes.”
