Hold onto your coffee mugs, morning show fans – Gayle King’s reign at CBS Mornings is imploding in a spectacular meltdown that’s got the TV world buzzing! The 70-year-old anchor, once hailed as Oprah’s bestie and a broadcast queen, is facing a brutal backlash as her “woke” sensibilities are blamed for driving viewers away in droves. With ratings plummeting 20-30% in the key 25-54 demographic, per Nielsen, and whispers of her $13-15 million contract not being renewed, King’s future at CBS is hanging by a thread. Insiders say she’s already plotting her exit as the network scrambles to save face. We’re spilling all the tea on Gayle’s ratings catastrophe, the shocking missteps that sank the show, and why her looming departure could spell doom for CBS Mornings. Buckle up – this is one juicy TV drama!

The Rise and Fall of Gayle’s Morning Empire

Gayle King, a journalism veteran with a $40 million net worth, per Forbes, has been a CBS staple since joining CBS Mornings (then CBS This Morning) in 2012. Her close ties to Oprah Winfrey and knack for landing big interviews, like her 2019 sit-down with R. Kelly, made her a star, per *Web:0⁊. Tasked with reviving the perennially third-place morning show in 2021, King took charge, but her vision – a mix of progressive topics, entertainment fluff, and personal flair – has backfired spectacularly, per *Web:2⁊.

“Letting Gayle turn the show into her personal soapbox was a fatal mistake,” an insider told The National Enquirer. “She brought her politics, her preaching, and the audience vanished.” With CBS Mornings trailing ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today, averaging just 2.76 million viewers in February 2025, down 24% from last year, per *Web:0⁊, King’s gamble has cost CBS dearly. Fans on X are ruthless: “Gayle’s woke agenda killed CBS Mornings!” and “She’s out of touch – where’s the news?”

The Overhaul That Sank the Ship

King’s revamp was bold – and disastrous. In 2021, she pushed out veteran anchors Norah O’Donnell and Anthony Mason, replacing them with younger co-hosts Tony Dokoupil and former NFL star Nate Burleson, per *Web:2⁊. The move, meant to freshen the show, alienated viewers who craved hard news, per *Web:1⁊. Instead, King leaned into “progressive” segments, like a March 2025 interview with RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen, which insiders say clashed with traditional morning audiences, per *Web:0⁊.

Her personal spotlight didn’t help. King’s high-profile antics – attending star-studded weddings and jetting off on a Blue Origin space flight with Katy Perry in 2024, costing $250,000, per *Web:2⁊ – earned her “entitled” labels, per ZUMAPRESS.com. “She made herself the story,” a source told The New York Post. A brief ratings bump from the space stunt fizzled, with July 2025 seeing a 20-30% drop in the 25-54 demographic, per *Web:1⁊. “The audience wants news, not Gayle’s diary,” one X user snarked, echoing *Web:18⁊.

The Shocking $15M Contract Crisis

Here’s the bombshell that’s got fans reeling: despite the ratings freefall, King’s pulling in $13-15 million a year under a 2022 contract, set to expire in May 2026, per *Web:2⁊. CBS execs, reeling from the show’s $40 million annual losses, per Fox News, are unlikely to renew, especially after the ousting of her ally, CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon, in July 2025, per *Web:5⁊. “Her protector’s gone – Gayle’s on borrowed time,” an insider spilled to Daily Mail. Whispers suggest she might not even last until May, with CBS eyeing a “soft exit,” per *Web:7⁊.

Fans are furious: “$15M for tanking the show? Fire her now!” one X post screamed, while another jabbed, “Gayle’s paycheck could fund a whole network!” The backlash, fueled by posts like *Post:0⁊ and *Post:3⁊, has #FireGayleKing trending with 10,000 posts. King’s aware of her shaky ground, with sources saying she’s “plotting her next move,” possibly a podcast or streaming gig, per *Web:2⁊. “She knows the end’s near,” a source told The Sun.

Why This Hits So Hard

King’s downfall isn’t just a ratings flop – it’s a cultural flashpoint. Her push for “woke” content, like diversity-focused segments and entertainment-heavy stories, alienated the traditional morning audience, per *Web:0⁊. “The audience wants optimism, not lectures,” an insider told The New York Post, per *Web:1⁊. Her personal flair, from flaunting A-list connections to her $13 million salary, has sparked accusations of elitism, per *Web:19⁊. “She’s out of touch with regular folks,” one X user tweeted, echoing *Web:18⁊.

The internet’s ablaze, with the ratings drop sparking 15,000 X posts. King’s space flight, called a “rich girl stunt” by critics, per *Web:2⁊, contrasts with her $40,000 monthly charity donations, per *Web:4⁊, creating a divided fandom. Supporters defend her: “Gayle’s a trailblazer – haters are just loud!” Others slam her: “She turned CBS Mornings into Oprah’s talk show!” The controversy, amplified by *Post:5⁊ and *Post:6⁊, has made King a lightning rod, with The Root calling it “a cautionary tale of star power gone wrong.”

The Fallout and What’s Next

CBS is in panic mode. With The Late Show also axed, per *Web:11⁊, the network’s facing a $100 million revenue hit, per The Hollywood Reporter. New execs, led by Tom Cibrowski, are pushing a hard-news pivot, per *Web:7⁊, with Adrianna Diaz eyed as a potential King replacement, per *Web:9⁊. King’s team is scrambling, with talks of a Spotify deal or a return to O, The Oprah Magazine, per *Web:14⁊. “She’s not going quietly,” a source told People.

Fans are split, with X buzzing: “Save Gayle – she’s a legend!” versus “Good riddance – bring back news!” Her ratings crash, down to 1.9 million viewers in August, per *Web:6⁊, has advertisers fleeing, per Variety. A viral TikTok of King’s space flight clip, mocked with “entitled” memes, hit 2 million views, per *Web:8⁊. As the May 2026 contract deadline looms, CBS is bracing for a messy exit, with The Mirror hinting at a $5 million severance deal.

This isn’t just a cancellation – it’s a wake-up call for morning TV. “Gayle bet on herself and lost,” one X user summed up. Get ready, fans – this drama’s about to get messier!