Gayle King Admits CBS ‘Drama’ And Teases Big ‘Mornings’ Shake-Up

The Moment

Gayle King just said the quiet part out loud: yes, there is drama at CBS, and yes, CBS Mornings is going to change.

In a pre-taped appearance on Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show “Sherri,” airing Friday, the longtime CBS Mornings anchor addressed the rumors that she’s being pushed out of her chair. Instead of dodging, she went straight at it.

King told Shepherd she’s seen the stories claiming she’s on her way out, but brushed them off with, “I’m not going to negotiate in the press.” She added that she hears “one thing in the building and one thing outside of the building,” and some of what gets written is “not true.”

Then came the line everyone is going to quote: “I’ve decided I’m going to stay out of the drama – and there is some drama.”

That “drama” includes a new boss, journalist-turned-exec Bari Weiss, already reshuffling the chessboard: hiring Matt Gutman away from ABC News, and promoting King’s co-host Tony Dokoupil to anchor CBS Evening News. King says she’s been told CBS wants her there and likes the job she’s doing – but she’s also realistic that Tony’s promotion “is certainly going to mean changes at CBS Mornings.”

The Take

I’ll be honest: this doesn’t sound like a woman on the verge of cleaning out her dressing room. It sounds like someone who’s been in TV long enough to know the cameras don’t stop rolling just because leadership changed.

Morning shows are like long marriages – everyone smiles for the Christmas card, but there’s always that one aunt who’ll tell you what really happened in the kitchen. Gayle is that aunt right now. She’s not spilling every detail, but she’s confirming the vibe: yes, something’s up at CBS.

On one side, you’ve got a new power player in Bari Weiss, already making bold moves: poaching talent (Matt Gutman), promoting in-house stars (Tony Dokoupil). On the other, you’ve got Gayle, a proven franchise player, calmly saying, essentially, “I love this job, my bosses say they love me, and whatever happens next, I am not going to be your anonymous ‘insider.'”

The most telling thing is what she doesn’t deny. She doesn’t say, “Everything’s staying exactly the same.” She says Tony’s promotion will “certainly” mean changes to CBS Mornings and there’s “no question” about that. Translation: the breakfast table is getting rearranged; she just doesn’t know exactly who’s sitting where yet – or she’s not ready to say.

Layer onto that what Variety has already reported: that Gayle is expected to step away from CBS Mornings when her contract is up in May 2026, potentially sliding into a new, yet-to-be-defined role as CBS’ parent company Paramount heads into an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. When she previously spoke to TMZ about those rumors, she delivered the same message she just gave Sherri: the people in the building keep telling her they want her there.

So you’ve got rumors of a 2026 exit, a mega-merger, a new boss with something to prove, and a fan-favorite anchor who clearly isn’t eager to be pushed off the stage. It’s less “Gayle is over” and more “Gayle is negotiating her next chapter while the paint is still drying on the set.”

If anything, this feels like the classic playbook we’ve watched a million times: leak that a big name might “step down,” float a new role, then slow-walk the transition so viewers don’t riot. Gayle publicly staying calm – even a little amused – tells me she knows her value. CBS can’t just quietly swap her out like a throw pillow.

Receipts

Gayle King admits there’s drama at CBS, and says ‘no doubt’ there will be changes at ‘CBS Mornings’ https://t.co/dRMeA2mAnE pic.twitter.com/dpM15fM54j

— Page Six (@PageSix) December 11, 2025

Confirmed:

• In a pre-taped interview for “Sherri,” Gayle King said she’s seen rumors she’s being pushed out of CBS Mornings but will not “negotiate in the press,” and added, “I’ve decided I’m going to stay out of the drama – and there is some drama,” according to a recap of the appearance published by Page Six on December 11, 2025.
• King acknowledged Tony Dokoupil’s promotion to CBS Evening News and said it will “certainly” mean changes at CBS Mornings and there’s “no question about that,” as quoted in the same Page Six report.
• Page Six notes that new CBS boss Bari Weiss has already hired Matt Gutman from ABC News and elevated Dokoupil, signaling broader talent changes.
• Variety previously reported that King is expected to leave CBS Mornings after her contract ends in May 2026 and might take another role linked to Paramount’s planned $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, as summarized in the Page Six article.
• King earlier told TMZ that people inside CBS have told her they want her there and like the work she’s doing, echoing the message she shared with Sherri Shepherd, according to Page Six’s account.

Unverified / Reported, Not Confirmed By CBS:

• That Gayle King is being “forced out” of CBS Mornings. These rumors are circulating in entertainment press and online, but King has directly pushed back and CBS has not publicly confirmed any such plan.
• The specific details or title of any future role King might hold after May 2026 if she does step away from CBS Mornings. That potential move has been reported but not formally announced.

Sources (human-readable): Page Six recap of Gayle King’s appearance on “Sherri,” published December 11, 2025; earlier reporting from Variety on Gayle King’s CBS contract and possible role shift amid the Paramount-Skydance merger (date referenced in Page Six); Gayle King’s prior on-record comments to TMZ about CBS wanting her to stay, as quoted by Page Six.

Backstory (For Casual Readers)

If you know Gayle King mainly as “Oprah’s best friend,” here’s the quick refresher: she’s also been one of the faces of CBS’ morning franchise for over a decade, helping to steady the ship through multiple format changes and co-host swaps. CBS Mornings (formerly CBS This Morning) competes with Today and Good Morning America for that crucial pre-commute audience. Behind the scenes, CBS is owned by Paramount, which is in the middle of a massive proposed merger with Skydance Media – a deal that could reshape everything from news to streaming. As those corporate plates spin, reports have suggested Gayle might shift into a new role once her current deal ends in May 2026, but nothing official has been announced.

What’s Next

In the short term, all eyes will be on three things: who fills Tony Dokoupil’s seat at CBS Mornings, what Bari Weiss does next with the talent lineup, and whether CBS makes any public statement about Gayle’s long-term future.

Watch for subtle clues: guest co-hosts who suddenly become regulars, branding tweaks to CBS Mornings, or Gayle quietly picking up more specials, primetime interviews, or streaming projects that look suspiciously like a “next chapter” tryout.

Contractually, May 2026 is the big date floating out there, thanks to Variety’s reporting. But TV history tells us these things rarely flip like a light switch. If CBS is smart, they’ll treat this as a slow glide, not a hard landing – especially with a star who still clearly connects with viewers and, by her own account, still loves the job.

For now, Gayle’s strategy seems clear: stay gracious, stay visible, and refuse to become the unnamed “source close to the situation” in someone else’s blind item. She’s acknowledging the drama without becoming the drama – which, in this business, is harder than waking up at 3:30 a.m. every day.

So let’s put it to you: if CBS does shake up its morning show, would you rather see Gayle stay at the table, move into a new high-profile role, or take her talents somewhere entirely different?