CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss has faced a considerable amount of backlash since she was hired roughly a year ago, and that criticism arguably expanded this past summer. During those months, Weiss initiated an overhaul of 60 Minutes, which saw several veteran anchors and correspondents fired. That paired with accusations of editorial bias have landed Weiss in hot water. Now, one of the previously mentioned show’s newest on-air talents is now speaking out and providing some blunt advice for his colleagues amid the blowback.
Sir Trevor Phillips – a veteran British broadcaster – was one of several people hired by Weiss ahead of 60 Minutes' return to the 2026 TV schedule for its 59th season. Phillips also serves as CBS’ senior global affairs correspondent and, at this point, he’s received critiques for joining Weiss and co. This past week, Phillips reportedly took part in a meeting of the company’s London bureau. It was during that discussion that Phillips apparently dropped an f-bomb when suggesting what his colleagues should say to the brand’s critics:
Why don’t you just fuck off and let us do our jobs?
According to The Guardian, the sentiment was shared in the midst of a heated conversation, which saw foreign editor Shayndi Raice scold several unidentified employees. Raice took issue with some staffers likening editorial oversight to “interference” and asserted that any disobedience towards editors would result in “legal grounds for firing.” Per the news outlet, Phillips defended Raice’s rationale and expressed his surprise that “that any of this actually has to be said.” Phillips also acknowledged the backlash he’s received for joining CBS:
I could spend the next hour telling you the number of people when it was announced that I was coming here, the number of people who told me for all of the reasons you just explained, why this is the end of my career and how I was going to destroy everything that I’ve ever created, and all of that bollocks.
Phillips joined the company in June 2026 after leaving Sky News, where he hosted his own morning show. That announcement came on the heels of series alums correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi, Scott Pelley and Cecilia Vega being fired along with others like former EP Tanya Simon and Draggan Mihailovich. Pelley, who was reportedly fired after accusing Bari Weiss of “murdering” the show, has been particularly vocal. He opined that the Eye Network as a whole was in need of some “adult supervision.”
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Nevertheless, as he did during that recent meeting, Phillips has fought back against backlash. He mostly notably defended Weiss during an interview conducted over the summer and said Weiss and her team had a “huge tanker of a network news organisation to turn around”. On top of that, when discussing Weiss more directly, he opined that “the great thing about her is that she’s one of those people who will either change the world or crash and burn.” On that note, the company’s news offerings – like 60 and CBS Mornings – have seen gains and losses as of late.
Although Bari Weiss has had her share of defenders, backlash against her reported editorial methods ensue, and rumors of staffers’ frustrations with her are still in the ether as well. Now that she’s also not going to be involved with CNN following the Paramount/Warner Bros. merger, the Free Press figurehead will theoretically continue to devote the bulk of her time to CBS News. What those efforts might yield is unclear but, in the meantime, it seems Sir Trevor Phillips is firmly supporting both her and their co-workers.
