Piers Morgan's Dirty Little Secret 

A 2004 scandal involving Piers Morgan’s tenure as editor of the Daily Mirror has been thrust back into the spotlight by a viral X thread from user@AntSpeaks. The thread revisits one of British media’s most infamous incidents, accusing Morgan of prioritizing sensationalism over truth, a charge that echoes ongoing debates about his journalistic integrity.

What Happened in 2004

On April 30, 2004, the Daily Mirror, under Morgan’s editorship, published photographs depicting British soldiers from the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment abusing an Iraqi detainee during the Iraq War. The images, which showed a soldier standing on a hooded prisoner, sparked widespread outrage and drew intense scrutiny amid global tensions over military conduct.

The British Army challenged the photos’ authenticity, pointing to inconsistencies in uniforms and equipment, and confirmed they were staged in northwest England, not Iraq. Despite mounting evidence of fabrication, Morgan defended the publication, arguing it raised legitimate concerns about potential military abuses. He resisted calls to apologize, intensifying criticism from the public, government, and military.

Colonel David Black of the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment accused Morgan of endangering British troops, stating, “It is time that the ego of one editor is measured against the life of a soldier.” The controversy escalated, with Trinity Mirror, the Mirror’s parent company, demanding an apology. Morgan’s refusal led to his dismissal on May 14, 2004, after a meeting with CEO Sly Bailey, and he was escorted from the newspaper’s premises.

The Daily Mirror later admitted the photos were fake, the scandal a low point in Morgan’s career. The incident damaged the paper’s credibility and encouraged accusations that Morgan favored headline-grabbing stories over rigorous fact-checking.

The Mirror incident proves Morgan’s willingness to publish unverified content for impact, seen in his recent media ventures, especially his schizophrenic flip flopping regarding the Israel-Gaza War. As Morgan’s influence persists through his 3.6 million-subscriber YouTube channel, the scandal is as a cautionary tale about the risks of believing anything he has to say.