Norah O’Donnell returns to ‘CBS Mornings’ seven years after leaving for evening news

Norah O’Donnell is back at the “CBS Mornings” table, returning to the broadcast she left seven years ago to take over the network’s flagship evening newscast.

O’Donnell made her return Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, joining Gayle King and Nate Burleson as a permanent co-host. CBS News announced the move Sept. 3, 2026. 

“I’m feeling great. Thanks for having me back!” O’Donnell said as she began her first broadcast with the new lineup.

The move reunites O’Donnell and King, who anchored together for seven years when the program was known as “CBS This Morning.” O’Donnell joined the morning broadcast in 2012 and remained there until 2019, when CBS moved her to the “CBS Evening News” anchor chair. 

O’Donnell anchored and served as managing editor of the “CBS Evening News” until stepping away from the daily broadcast in early 2025. She remained with CBS News as a senior correspondent and has since been named a correspondent for “60 Minutes.” She also hosts “Healthful,” a weekly podcast focused on women’s health.

Her return also fills a vacancy created by Tony Dokoupil’s move from mornings to evenings. Dokoupil, who previously co-hosted “CBS Mornings,” became anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News” earlier in 2026. 

O’Donnell’s arrival comes as CBS prepares broader changes to its morning broadcast. The Los Angeles Times reported the program is expected to adopt a faster pace and feature more live interviews, with O’Donnell’s addition serving as the first step in a larger overhaul. 

The changes come as “CBS Mornings” continues to trail its network morning competitors. The program averaged about 1.7 million viewers for the season through Aug. 30, 2026, down about 9% from the comparable period a year earlier, according to Nielsen figures.

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O’Donnell also gives the program another veteran political journalist as CBS News heads toward the 2026 midterm elections.

Before joining the network’s morning show, she served as CBS News’ chief White House correspondent during the Obama administration. She has covered eight presidential elections and interviewed every living U.S. president as well as the late President Jimmy Carter. 

The assignment creates an unusual full-circle moment for O’Donnell. Her move from mornings to evenings in 2019 was one of the most prominent anchor changes at CBS News at the time.

Seven years later, she returns to a morning television landscape where live interviews, extended conversations and personality-driven coverage are becoming a larger part of the network’s strategy.