Tensions may be boiling over behind the scenes at CBS News as the network desperately searches for a way to revive its struggling morning show.
“CBS Mornings” star Gayle King is reportedly “not happy” about the possibility of former co-anchor Norah O’Donnell returning to the program — just as CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss weighs a dramatic overhaul aimed at shaking up the ratings-challenged broadcast.
According to sources who spoke to the New York Post, King became upset after recent promotional spots for “CBS Mornings” featured O’Donnell, who has periodically filled in alongside King and Nate Burleson.
“Gayle was not happy,” one source told the outlet. “She does not want Norah to return to the show.”
The reported friction comes as CBS searches for a permanent replacement for Tony Dokoupil, who moved to the “CBS Evening News” anchor desk earlier this year.
O’Donnell has emerged as one of the leading names under consideration, along with Eva Pilgrim, former “The View” co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck and CBS News anchor Kelly O’Grady. No final decision has been made.
But bringing O’Donnell back could reopen an old chapter at CBS.
King and O’Donnell previously shared the morning anchor desk from 2012 until 2019, when O’Donnell left to take over the “CBS Evening News.”
One insider described the pair as cordial but bordering on “frenemies,” suggesting there was tension between them even during their earlier years together.
A network source, however, reportedly made clear that King remains heavily involved in selecting the next co-host — and that CBS brass is unlikely to make a major move without her support.
Bari Weiss Eyes Big Changes
The anchor drama is unfolding as Weiss reportedly considers a much broader makeover of “CBS Mornings.”
Sources told the Post that executives have discussed moving the show toward a looser, more conversational format resembling “Morning Joe,” with hosts spending more time debating and analyzing the biggest stories rather than racing through a traditional lineup of short news segments.
CBS News President Tom Cibrowski and interim executive producer Jon Tower are reportedly looking at making the program more live and personality-driven.
Tower previously worked on “Morning Joe,” the MSNBC program built around Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski and known for its lengthy political discussions and opinion-heavy roundtables.
One insider said the plan could involve fewer stories but deeper conversations about the issues dominating the day.
The motivation is hardly mysterious.
“CBS Mornings” has been battling brutal ratings, recently falling to roughly 1.59 million total viewers during the week of July 13 — a historic low for the program.
One frustrated CBS insider summed up the urgency in particularly blunt terms, telling the Post that the show is in serious trouble and executives “need to try something.”
CBS News declined to comment on the report.
A network source acknowledged that a more conversational format has been discussed but pushed back on the suggestion that CBS plans to completely transform the broadcast into another version of “Morning Joe.”
O’Donnell’s CBS Comeback Gains Steam
O’Donnell’s sudden resurgence inside CBS is also raising eyebrows.
Her standing at the network has improved significantly since Weiss took control of CBS News last October.
O’Donnell, 52, left the “CBS Evening News” anchor chair in early 2025 after six years. But instead of fading into the background, she has recently landed several high-profile assignments.
She became a full correspondent for “60 Minutes,” launched the women’s health podcast “Healthful,” and has repeatedly appeared as a guest host on “CBS Mornings.”
Those appearances have fueled speculation that her return to the morning desk may be more than temporary.
Weiss is reportedly a fan of O’Donnell’s experience and reliability, potentially giving the veteran anchor an advantage as CBS decides who gets the coveted third chair.
Still, not everyone inside the network appears convinced that recycling a familiar face will solve CBS’s problems.
Some insiders reportedly question whether O’Donnell can deliver the kind of ratings boost the network badly needs.
Others are nervous about Weiss pushing CBS toward a more opinion-driven format at a time when traditional television news organizations are already struggling to hold viewers.
One employee even complained that Weiss could end up turning the morning broadcast into something resembling a television podcast.
For CBS, the stakes are high.
The network has spent years trailing its morning-show competitors, and its latest ratings collapse has only increased pressure on executives to make major changes.
Now the battle over who sits next to Gayle King could become part of a much bigger fight over what CBS News should look like in the Bari Weiss era.
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Gayle looks like she is not ageing gracefully, could she be jealous of her old friend ?