It's Official: Piers Morgan Takes Over for Larry King

America's Got Talent judge formally (and finally!) named as permanent replacement for suspenders king, with nightly prime-time show set to debut in January

CNN's got (new) talent.

After months of rumors and coyly dismissive shoulder shrugs, the cable news net has finally confirmed that America's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan will replace suspender king Larry King in his nightly prime-time slot beginning in January.

"I am thrilled to be joining CNN, and very much looking forward to bringing my own style of interviewing to the world's biggest, and best, TV news organization," Morgan said, giving a shout-out to both new colleague Anderson Cooper—whom he called "passionate" and "relentless" in his search for truth—and his bespectacled predecessor.

"I have watched Larry King Live for much of the last 25 years, and dreamed of one day filling the legendary suspenders of the man I consider to be the greatest TV interviewer of them all. To now have the chance to work with Larry and Anderson, and to try and continue the outstanding journalistic legacy created by them, and so many others at CNN, is both a great honor and a great challenge."

As for his credentials, the ex-British tabloid editor and onetime peer punching bag (ah, the good old days) has since successfully styled himself into a good enough facsimile of an interviewer to convince CNN to make him one of their marquee names.

Though how tough can it be to say, "Kenosha, you have a question."

But credit where it's due: Morgan has been hosting an interview series in the U.K., Piers Morgan On…, for the past few years and is the man who first got pal Simon Cowell to sound international wedding bells by calling his current ladylove "the one."

The 45-year-old's road to CNN was cleared earlier this summer, when NBC Universal Television Entertainment chairman Jeff Gaspin announced at his TCA panel that Morgan had brokered a new, no longer exclusive contract with the broadcaster which would allow his considerable time and slightly less considerable talents to be shared between the networks.

While it was not noted in the press release heralding the host switch, the CNN deal no doubt allows Piers to continue to contribute to his NBC reality show as well as take over nightly duties on CNN.

Morgan's as yet unnamed show will be based in New York, but he will also work from Los Angeles and London.

Sorry, Ry.