Piers Morgan’s 1st year at CNN: “Driven by the incredible news cycle” & “great interviews with big stars”

Piers Morgan and the staff of “Piers Morgan Tonight” are celebrating the first year of shows at CNN, with an anniversary week kicking off tonight at 9pmET/PT with Chelsea Handler interviewing Piers, Rosie O’Donnell is a guest Tuesday and former Pres. Jimmy Carter is on Wednesday. In this web video he looks back at the first year, and ahead to year two. “It’s turned into much more of a news show,” says Piers. “That was driven by the incredible news cycle we’ve had, and by the fact that my training and background is all news journalism.”

Piers said the formula will remain in 2012: “When there’s news, we’ll do it very well, and when there’s no news, we’ll do great interviews with big stars.” How did he get into TV?

“The main reason I got into television was because I got fired from my job as a newspaper editor, so I was kind of looking for something to do,” joked Piers.

He also talked about the show’s executive producer, Jonathan Wald. “He’s an amazing EP, he’s exasperated by my Britishness,” he said.

Watch tonight’s interview with Handler interviewing Piers at 9pmET/PT.