Gayle King To Depart As 'CBS Mornings' Anchor Amid Their News Overhaul? Hasn't Renewed Her Contract

Gayle King has been the face of CBS News' CBS Mornings segment for over a decade now. However, it seems like her much-loved stint with the channel will be coming to an end. The anchor is expected to depart from the morning program next year. The news was shared by Variety on October 20, 2025, (ET). According to the news forum, four people with knowledge of the situation had shared the update.

Gayle King to leave CBS Mornings?

According to reports, Gayle King may shift to a different role within the news division, which is being thoroughly overhauled under the new Paramount Skydance regime. The sources revealed to the publishing house that the anchor's contract will expire in May 2026. While there are indications that CBS would like her to stay on board with the news division, potentially with a deal to produce her own programming for the network.

Gayle King's speculatory exit comes months after CBS Evening News anchor, Norah O'Donnell stepped down from that role in January 2025 and transitioned to being a senior correspondent for CBS News, contributing to a range of programs and coverage. Negotiations are about to begin just as Paramount is cutting ties with dozens of CBS News staffers and hundreds more across the larger company. 

Gayle King would be the latest top CBS talent to leave their current roles as the company's corporate ownership shifts from the Redstones to the Ellisons, who have expressed a desire to move CBS News away from content they feel tilts too far to the left. Variety even shared a comment from CBS's spokesperson, who stated:

"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." 

Ellisons's tightening grip on Paramount forced CBS to make several changes

As the Ellisons get more powerful, Paramount and CBS have made significant changes. CBS cancelled its signature late-night program, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The show will end in May 2026, ahead of the official sale of Paramount to Skydance Media. The network will also be parting ways with John Dickerson, one-half of the current anchor team of CBS Evening News. On October 30, 2025, CBS News said it would overhaul its Saturday-morning program and cut ties with its co-anchors Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, as well as the show's executive producer, Brian Applegate.

Lisa Ling and Nikki Battiste are among the other well-known staffers who will leave. Amid all these massive changes, Moving Gayle King would be a risky move for the channel, especially because morning TV is built on the relationships viewers share with hosts. If audiences feel Gayle was pushed out for no good reason, they could be ripe for the picking by rivals like NBC's Today or ABC's Good Morning America. NBC News has encountered this challenge twice over the years, as its audiences didn't warm to Deborah Norville when she became co-anchor of Today in 1989, because they perceived she had bumped the previous co-host, Jane Pauley. 

What are your thoughts on Gayle King's rumoured departure from CBS Mornings?

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