’60 Minutes’ Eying Jim Axelrod & Seth Doane to Replace Scott Pelley, Anderson Cooper and More

60 Minutes is just two months away from its 2026-27 season premiere, and the show could look different in more ways than one when it returns to our television screens.

Following months of upheaval, including CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss‘ firing of correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and Scott Pelley, and the resignation of longtime contributor Anderson Cooper, 60 Minutes needs fresh faces to fill these positions.

According to the LA Times, longtime CBS News correspondent Seth Doane and chief investigative correspondent Jim Axelrod are two of the top contenders to take on correspondent roles on the upcoming season of 60 Minutes.

Doane is a multi-time Emmy-winning Senior Foreign Correspondent based in Italy. His reports primarily feature on CBS’ Sunday Morning and also on CBS Evening News. Doane already has a connection to 60 Minutes, having served as a correspondent on 60 in 6, the show’s streaming program, and as host of the podcast 60 Minutes: A Second Look.

Former 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens, who exited the show in 2025, previously spoke highly of Doane. “Seth Doane is one of the best journalists at CBS News. He’s a big fan of 60 Minutes, and I’m sure one day he’ll work at 60 Minutes,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2024.

Axelrod, meanwhile, appears across all CBS News programs and platforms. His history with the network includes reporting from Iraq, including being the first TV reporter to broadcast live from the Saddam International Airport (now Baghdad International Airport) after its takeover by American forces during the Iraq War.

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The LA Times also reports that British journalist Sir Trevor Phillips is expected to have a role on 60 Minutes. Phillips, who recently joined CBS News as senior global affairs correspondent, previously served as a politician in the U.K. and hosted the Sky News program Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.

CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil is expected to deliver four 60 Minutes pieces per season, according to the outlet. In addition, chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett will have a contributor role.

Other names under consideration include Matt Gutman, who Weiss poached from ABC News last year, foreign correspondent Holly Williams, and National Geographic Channel journalist Mariana van Zeller.

The new faces will join 60 Minutes veterans Bill Whitaker, Leslie Stahl, Jon Wertheim, and Norah O’Donnell, who are all sticking with the show despite the recent turmoil.