Gayle King may exit ‘CBS Mornings’ in 2026: What could be after that?

Longtime “CBS Mornings” co-anchor Gayle King may exit the morning newscast in 2026, multiple sources told Variety.

The reports come on the tail of layoffs at CBS News affecting around 100 staffers, a move that saw one foreign bureau shuttered, two supplemental shows canceled, and high-profile exits among talent, as well as an ongoing trend of execs and talent parting ways with the network.

King, 70, has been with CBS News since 2012, when she was one of three co-anchors, alongside Norah O’Donnell and Charlie Rose, to helm “CBS This Morning.” Amid a flurry of anchor changes over the following years, King has remained the single constant at the anchor desk of what has since become known as “CBS Mornings.”

King’s current deal runs through May 2026, CBS News confirmed to Variety. 

“There have been no discussions with Gayle about her contract that runs through May 2026. She’s a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future,” a network spokesperson told the publication. Variety also contacted one of King’s attorneys several times but did not hear back.

Meanwhile, Variety noted that King could remain at CBS News but in a different role, such as contributing reports to other programs, much like former “CBS Evening News” anchor O’Donnell has done since leaving the broadcast in early 2025.

If King were to depart “Mornings,” CBS would be faced with losing a popular anchor who has become familiar to viewers. Although the show remains in last place among its network peers, it still maintains a core audience, many of whom are likely fans of King.

King’s co-anchors, Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil, are relative newcomers to network morning news.

On the other hand, CBS, under the recently revamped Paramount Skydance management, could see removing King from the show as a way to cut costs. She had been making as much as $13 million a year before reportedly taking a pay cut in September 2024 with a short-term extension that runs out in May.

Even at a lower rate, her salary and its accompany perks are likely still substantial line items on the CBS budget, especially in a post Paramount-Skydance merger world where cost savings were heralded as one of the union’s key pros.

It’s also worth noting that, despite her surviving numerous anchor shuffles and commanding a high salary, “CBS Mornings” still remains in last place. While that’s not to say King doesn’t play at least some role in helping the broadcast at least retain some of its viewers, it still might be a case where the ROI isn’t there, at least in the view of new management.

There was no word if King’s potential exit could be tied to the new leadership regime at CBS News, which centers around right-leaning commentator Bari Weiss as editor in chief. 

As part of the Paramount takeover, new CEO David Ellison has shown a willingness to bend to demands from Donald Trump and other right-leaning voices, including high profile pledges to scale back on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and report a broader spectrum of views just before the FCC gave its final blessing on license transfers needed to push the merger past the finish line.

New leadership also appears willing to shake things up, having already announced plans to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which is slated to end around the same time as King’s current deal is up. The recent slew of layoffs, which included an overhaul that gutted most of the talent and production team for “CBS Saturday Morning” despite it posting strong numbers so far this year, also hint at an overall strategy of more ruthless cost-cutting.

If King were to exit “Mornings” but stick with CBS News, it’s possible her reporting could continue to appear on the broadcast as well as other programming such as “60 Minutes” and “Evening News.” 

The network could also explore streaming opportunities for her, either within the news division or as part of a broader network arrangement. 

While discussions are still pending, it’s also possible King could exit CBS News altogether. What might be next isn’t clear. 

King tried her hand at sit-down interview show for CNN with Charles Barkley back in 2023, but it was billed as a limited series and has not produced new installments since then. 

While some past morning news anchors have gone on to launch syndicated talk shows, including Meredith Vieria, Katie Couric and Tamron Hall, those have been met with limited success. Vieira and Couric’s shows were relatively short-lived, while Hall has found success with her ABC-produced talker.

The syndication landscape has also shifted significantly even since Hall’s launch, however, with slower demand for such programming significantly stalling development and launches of new shows. 

King could also try out independent media, which has also become a popular choice among former network news stars, including Megyn Kelly, Chuck Todd and Tucker Carlson. Again, these have been met with varying degrees of success, often thanks to targeting specific audiences. There might also be space for her at another outlet.

It’s also possible King, who is 70, could slow down and retire or at least shift to semi-retirement.