News anchor Gayle King will stay at CBS Mornings after months of speculation. Variety reports Gayle signed a new deal with the network.
Rumor had it that CBS was considering replacing Gayle with Hoda Kotb or Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk.
Gayle celebrated her new deal with a statement: “Rumors of my demise were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated,” she said, referring to a Variety report from October that said her contract, which ends in May, would not be renewed.
“CBS News is my longtime home, and I am committed to our mission,” she added. “I’m excited about continuing at ‘CBS Mornings.’ As always, I’m open to new adventures here and ready to go. It took a minute, but we got there. And now that we are here, I am all in.”
Variety reported Gayle would leave the morning show, but the network would find another suitable job for her in-house.
At the time, Gayle denied the report.
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is reportedly considering former ESPN anchor Sage Steele as Gayle’s CBS Mornings co-anchor.
According to Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter, Bari Weiss is searching for a new co-host for CBS Mornings after Gayle’s former co-host Tony Dokoupil was promoted to CBS Evening News in January.
The news that Erika Kirk might sit in Gayle’s chair was met with surprise and criticism. CBS viewers said Gayle should be replaced by another person of color, not a privileged multi-millionaire.
One person on the LGBT+ board Data Lounge wrote sarcastically, “This will surely get the highest ratings in CBS history.”
Someone else wrote on X (Twitter), “CBS just lost all credibility. Jesus Christ.”
