Gayle King’s schedule is pretty much as stacked as they come—and now she’s adding one more project to her ever-growing list. Starting in September, Gayle is teaming up with former basketball player Charles Barkley to host a new show on CNN called King Charles, where they will share their unique perspectives on what’s going in the world, pop culture, and in their lives.
The show isn’t about a British royal—rather, King Charles will be a news program that takes its name from the two cohosts. The duo shared the news during halftime at today’s 76ers versus Nets game. Gayle revealed she “wasn’t looking for another job,” but working with Barkley made her reconsider—and he agreed. They both told each other they’d only sign on to do the show if the other signed on, too. See their announcement below.
In addition to being Oprah Daily’s editor at large, Gayle starts her busy days at CBS Mornings. Having hosted the morning show for more than 10 years, Gayle is no stranger to talking it up on TV. Her career has basically pointed straight here: She got her start at WJZ-TV in Baltimore (where she famously met Oprah) and worked her way up as a reporter and anchor before making it to CBS. Gayle was named one of Time’s Most Influential People in 2019—specifically for her steadiness while interviewing R. Kelly. She’s also a pivotal figure on the Oprah Daily team. Her monthly series, “The World According to Gayle,” is pretty much the end-all, be-all of cultural recommendations. And that’s not even all. Gayle also hosts a weekly radio show, Gayle King in the House, on SiriusXM.
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Barkley, on the other hand, started his career playing for the 76ers and eventually turned to broadcasting, too. Since retiring from basketball, he has been a sports commentator and an analyst, appearing during NBA pre-shows and half-time shows, and cohosting the post-game show Inside the NBA with a few other former basketball players.
As excited as we are to tune in to King Charles, we’ll have to wait several months before seeing Gayle and Barkley on-screen together. The show is scheduled to air Wednesdays in September and we’ll be keeping this article updated with more news and dates. Stay tuned for more.
Cassie Hurwitz (she/her) is an assistant editor at Oprah Daily, where she covers everything from culture to entertainment to lifestyle. She can typically be found in the middle of multiple books and TV shows all at once. Previously, Cassie worked at Parents, Rachael Ray In Season, and Reveal. Her love language is pizza (New York slices, Chicago deep dish, and otherwise).
