It's been a week of ups and downs for Piers Morgan. First, he mistook late comedian Patrice O'Neal for a woman (for which he has now apologized.)

Then he's observed with obvious glee as his former nemesis, 'Top Gear' host Jeremy Clarkson, has been vilified in the UK for saying on live television that striking workers should be executed.

Now Morgan has called Herman Cain's lawyer, Lin Wood, "shockingly naive." On last night's 'Piers Morgan Tonight' he quizzed Wood about whether, given the number of accusations against him recently, Cain is fit to be President of the United States.

Piers Morgan has announced that he's quitting 'America's Got Talent' in order to concentrate on his CNN show. Morgan -- who's one of the original judges on the NBC show -- Tweeted "I'm leaving America's Got Talent after 6 wonderful years. Turned out that juggling's harder than it looks, so I'm going to focus on CNN." He then confirmed the news on 'Piers Morgan Tonight,' joking that he's also now available to host the Oscars.

He went on, "Big thanks to NBC, Fremantle, and of course, my friend Simon Cowell, for giving me such a great opportunity. It's been a blast." He also congratulated his colleagues on the show -- Sharon Osbourne, Howie Mandel and Nick Cannon: "You don't have to put up with me any more!"

The excitement surrounding Simon Cowell's new reality talent show 'The X Factor' is reaching fever pitch ahead of tonight's premiere.

Over the summer there was much drama off-screen as judge Cheryl Cole was booted from the panel after auditions had got underway and was replaced by the show's original co-host, Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger.

Cowell and Scherzinger were guests on 'Piers Morgan Tonight' and he talked candidly about the reasons for Cole's departure: "I was talking to someone about this at the screening the other night and they put it very well -- she looked a bit bewildered."

Cowell -- who says he feels bad about the very public way in which Cole was fired -- added that "I took the view, along with a few other people, that she would have been more comfortable back in the UK."

He also opened up about his hopes for 'The X Factor' and whether it will take down 'American Idol.'

The phone-hacking scandal that's engulfing News Corp.'s assets in the U.K. is threatening to take down another high-profile figure.

The British tabloid 'The Daily Star' is reporting that 'America's Got Talent' judge Piers Morgan may have lost out on a new show he's been developing for CNN.

According to the report, CNN executives have put the the breaks on the new show, as new hacking allegations continue to mount against the former British tabloid editor.

However, a spokesperson for Piers Morgan is pushing back on the story, telling AOL TV that there never was a new show in production, and that 'Piers Morgan Tonight' is not jeopardy.

Sources told the 'Star' that the news-based program would have run in tandem with Morgan's nightly CNN chat show, 'Piers Morgan Tonight,' and that its development was part of the deal he signed back in September 2010 when he took over for Larry King.