Piers Morgan is the new Larry King

Piers Morgan told the BBC that he had "dreamed of one day filling the legendary suspenders of the man I consider to be the greatest TV interviewer of them all". Morgan will start his new job in January. Asked who he would like to interview, he said US President Barack Obama would be at the top of his list.

Larry King, who began presenting Larry King Live on CNN in 1985, announced in June he would step down as host of the show in the autumn. The veteran broadcaster, 76, recently made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot. According to CNN, King will retire having done more than 40,000 interviews.

His show attracts leading politicians, musicians, athletes and actors — often giving exclusive stories to the host, who famously puts little preparation into his work. To mark his 25th anniversary in the hot seat this summer, King spoke to Lady Gaga, Bill Gates and President Obama, getting some of his highest ratings in recent years.