“60 Minutes” host Steve Kroft says he ‘hated’ time on show, ‘made a bunch of enemies’ when he landed gig

Marina WattsMon, April 6, 2026 at 5:11 PM UTC

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Steve Kroft and Bill O'Reilly on 'We'll Do It Live!'Credit: Bill O'Reilly/YouTubeKey Points -

Steve Kroft is reflecting on his 30 years at 60 Minutes, calling the cutthroat TV news industry "a snake pit."

"60 Minutes was really appealing, and I thought I wasn't really sure I was ever gonna get there. I didn't really seriously think about it," he said about the news show.

Kroft joined 60 Minutes in 1989 and retired in 2019.

Steve Kroft isn't looking back fondly at his time on 60 Minutes.

While chatting with Bill O'Reilly on the April 2 episode of We'll Do It Live!, the retired journalist revealed what it was like working on the CBS news program. O'Reilly asked if Kroft made any "real friends" during his time at CBS. "A few," Kroft, who retired in 2019, said. "But it's not easy to make friends in the television news industry, right?" O'Reilly asked.

"No, it's not. And I'm being honest, and goes back to what I said earlier: If people seem really friendly, you need to check your wallet," Kroft said, noting that it becomes competitive between reporters looking for the best story in the cutthroat industry.

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"I can remember when I was tapped to go to 60 Minutes, I thought this was fantastic. And I expected [that] a lot of people would just come up and say, 'That's really great. I'm really happy for you... And then you realize after a while that not everybody was happy that I got this job," Kroft continued.

"There were other people that wanted [the job], and so then you've all all of a sudden made a bunch of enemies... it's a snake pit."

Kroft on 'We'll Do It Live!' and during his time at '60 Minutes'Credit: Bill O'Reilly/YouTube; Everett

O'Reilly then asked Kroft, "if you had to do it again, would you do it again?"

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"No, I probably wouldn't do it again," Kroft admitted. "I hated it. Look, the best job I ever had at CBS was when I was correspondent at the London bureau and got to see the world. That was the job I always wanted. 60 Minutes was really appealing, and I thought I wasn't really sure I was ever gonna get there. I didn't really seriously think about it."

Kroft said that the work for 60 Minutes was nonstop. There was traveling, writing, attending screenings, and much more. Once one episode was set, Kroft was then "starting it all over again."

"It was exhilarating," Kroft noted. "The reason I loved the job was because of the stories that I could do and the fact that they liked good stories... I was kind of at a disadvantage. I was the first person on that show that had not been an anchorman, wasn't really well known. I'd been a lot on the evening news and I had been at West 57th, but I had to keep doing it."

Kroft also admitted that he "probably" got addicted to the job. "You get excited about the fact that you're still alive," he quipped.

O'Reilly interviews KroftCredit: Bill O'Reilly/YouTube

The veteran newscaster and five-time Peabody Award winner joined 60 Minutes in 1989. Throughout his tenure on the news magazine program, Kroft interviewed Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, along with late Senator Bob Dole, Clint Eastwood, and Woody Allen. He retired in 2019 after 30 years on the program.

See Steve Kroft's full conversation with Bill O'Reilly below.

on Entertainment Weekly

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