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Norah O'Donnell Set for CBS Mornings Return: Inside the Future of the Gayle King-Led Show
Seven years after leaving CBS’ morning broadcast to take over as anchor of the CBS Evening News, the veteran journalist is returning to CBS Mornings, reuniting with longtime colleague Gayle King and joining current co-host Nate Burleson.
O’Donnell will officially return Tuesday, September 8, filling the seat previously held by Tony Dokoupil. CBS News confirmed the move this week, describing it as a “homecoming” for the Emmy Award-winning journalist.
A Reunion With Gayle King
O’Donnell and King already have years of history together.
The two previously co-hosted the morning program — then known as CBS This Morning — from 2012 until 2019. Their partnership was considered one of the stronger combinations in morning television, and CBS says the pair have maintained a friendship and professional relationship since O’Donnell moved to the evening broadcast.
Senior producer Jon Tower told CBS staff that O’Donnell and King created “one of the most memorable partnerships” in morning news and said their chemistry extends beyond the studio.
Now, they will be joined by Burleson, creating a new three-person team at the center of the broadcast.
Why CBS Is Bringing Her Back
O’Donnell’s return comes at an important moment for CBS Mornings.
The program has struggled to keep pace with NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America, with its audience declining in recent months. Nielsen figures reported by Variety show CBS Mornings averaging roughly 1.7 million viewers through August 30, down about 9% from the same period a year earlier.
CBS is hoping O’Donnell’s experience and strong hard-news credentials can help stabilize the program while giving viewers another reason to tune in.
Her return also comes as the network prepares for increased political coverage surrounding the 2026 midterm elections.
From Evening News to “60 Minutes”
O’Donnell left the morning show in 2019 after being named anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News.
She remained in that role for several years before stepping away from the evening broadcast in 2025. Since then, she has continued working with CBS News as a senior correspondent and has expanded her role at 60 Minutes.
Her return to mornings does not mean she is leaving those responsibilities behind. O’Donnell is also a full-time 60 Minutes correspondent and hosts the Healthful podcast, which focuses on women's health.
The Show Could Look Different
O’Donnell’s return appears to be just the beginning of a broader overhaul.
CBS is reportedly planning to make CBS Mornings faster-paced and more focused on live conversations and interviews tied directly to the day's biggest stories. The network is also considering shifting toward a more discussion-driven format, similar in some ways to the conversational approach used by Morning Joe.
CBS News President Tom Cibrowski has said the goal is to put the network's strongest journalists in position to deliver more immediate, relevant coverage rather than relying as heavily on traditional feature segments.
The changes are expected to roll out quickly, giving viewers a noticeably different version of the program as the new anchor lineup settles in.
A Familiar Face for a New Era
For O’Donnell, the move represents a return to familiar territory — but with a very different perspective.
When she left the morning show in 2019, she was stepping into one of the most prestigious jobs in broadcast journalism. Now, she returns with years of experience covering major national stories, presidential politics and international events.
And she'll be walking back into a newsroom where one of her closest professional relationships is waiting.
Whether the reunion with King and the revamped format can turn around CBS’ morning ratings remains to be seen. But for CBS, bringing O’Donnell back is clearly more than a simple replacement for a vacant anchor chair.
It's a bet that a familiar face, strong chemistry and a renewed focus on live news can give CBS Mornings the fresh start it needs.
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