Piers Morgan on The Banning of Madonna, Butt-Kicking of CNN

Piers Morgan to Madonna: You're still banned from my new talk show.

In December, Morgan told a British newspaper that Madge would not be welcome on his upcoming CNN series, Piers Morgan Tonight, because she is "so boring."

While promoting the show Thursday at the Television Critics Association's winter previews, Morgan further explained: "[Madonna] has kind of been an irritant in my life for 20 years, so I had to ban her from the show," he said. "Lady Gaga is half her age, twice as talented, twice as good looking — why would I bother with Madonna?"

Piers Morgan to replace Larry King on CNN

So who will be on the show? Oprah, to start. When Piers Morgan Tonight  premieres on Monday, Jan. 17 at 9/8c, the host revealed that the Queen of Talk will be his first guest. "It was an incredible interview," Morgan said. "Is my interview as good as any one she's done before? She thought so."

The British host, best known in the U.S. as a judge on America's Got Talent, is hoping such outspokenness will be a draw. "I like being polarizing. It's more fun ... I think television should be provocative and opinionated."

In any case, he said, the ratings-challenged CNN could certainly use the boost.

"That's what CNN has to do more of — we've got to make more noise! We're up against new beasts in the jungle. Fox News didn't exist six or seven years ago," Morgan said. (Editor's note: The channel launched in 1996.) "You've got to be more aggressive, you've got to be louder, you've got to make more noise ... I want you guys to be writing about this show regularly, good, bad and ugly."