Hoda Kotb in Secret Talks to Replace Gayle King at ‘CBS Mornings’: ‘She’d Be the Star’ (Exclusive)

The morning show shake-up that nobody saw coming is suddenly very real — and Hoda Kotb could soon be waking up America from an entirely different couch!

The National Enquirer has learned that new CBS powerbroker Bari Weiss is quietly — very quietly — pursuing the beloved Today alum, 61, to take over CBS Mornings as Gayle King’s contract ticks toward its 2026 expiration. The marching orders? Rescue the show from the ratings basement…and do it fast.

“CBS is done accepting third place,” a high-level network insider dishes. “Bari wants a huge name who brings warmth, credibility — and viewers. And Hoda checks every box.”

After stepping away from Today, the mom of two hoped to build a wellness empire, but as insiders have previously told the Enquirer, she misses the adrenaline of live TV — and the millions who adore her for it.

“She’s realized that her real power is mornings,” says one source with direct knowledge. “Hoda is morning TV. She’s the comfort America trusts with its coffee.”

And the pitch from CBS? Massive.

“For the first time, she’d be the star,” a rival exec reveals. “No Savannah [Guthrie]. No Kathie Lee [Gifford]. No shadows. Bari is offering her the spotlight — and the kingdom that comes with it.”

The only snag is her current deal at NBC, but multiple insiders insist the fine print is “nowhere near ironclad.”

Meanwhile, King is “not blind to the palace intrigue,” one newsroom spy tells the Enquirer. “Gayle sees the writing on the cue cards. CBS wants change — and they want it yesterday.”