CBS’s morning show hosts Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell adamantly denied any strife between them on Monday after the network confirmed a major shakeup in the news division that will send O’Donnell to head the network’s evening news program.
Speaking at the Sheraton hotel in Times Square on Monday, the “CBS This Morning” co-hosts hugged each other and broke into a spontaneous rendition of “Ebony and Ivory” in an attempt to prove that they are as cozy off the air as they are on television.
O’Donnell told reporters she “loved” King, and called her “the kindest person in the world,” as well as her “mentor” and “therapist.” King lauded O’Donnell for waking up early to work out every day, coming in a 5:30 am, and “looking like a gazillion bucks” while doing it.
The women praised each other in front of reporters in an effort to debunk The Post’s report last week that King — still high off her explosive interview with R&B singer R. Kelly — had demanded O’Donnell be moved off the morning show as part of her recent contract negotiations.
“The friction between Norah and Gayle is fiction,” said King.
The denials come as CBS confirmed The Post’s report of a major shake-up in its news lineup intended to boost ratings — and appease King. The network is moving O’Donnell off the morning show this summer to anchor “CBS Evening News,” replacing Jeff Glor.
Also leaving “CBS This Morning” is John Dickerson, who joined the show after Charlie Rose left amid sexual misconduct allegations. Dickerson will head to “60 Minutes” — leaving King to host the morning show with Anthony Mason, currently co-host of “CBS This Morning: Saturday,” and Tony Dokoupil, a CBS News correspondent.
The anchor upheaval is the first big move by Susan Zirinsky, who was named president of CBS’s news division in January following several major talent departures, including Rose and “60 Minutes” executive producer Jeff Fager. Fager left in September after he sent an inappropriate message to a CBS reporter looking into allegations of sexual harassment.
“CBS This Morning” has been sagging in its third-place spot behind “Good Morning America” and “Today” with 3.1 million viewers — down 8 percent from this time last year, Nielson said. In the important 25- to 54-year-old demographic, it’s down 10 percent over last year to 808,000.
Glor’s show also remains in last place behind “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir” and “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.” The show has just 5.6 million viewers and is still down 5 percent over last year with a a 9-percent drop in viewers ages 25 to 54.
“This was planned a long time ago,” King said of O’Donnell’s new job as head of “CBS Evening News.”
But CBS insiders continue to insist that King is pleased to be rid of O’Donnell, who was widely seen as having fueled rumors of Glor’s exit when bidding for his job.
“Gayle is done with her,” one CBS insider told The Post. “They’re making it painfully obvious they want to appear super tight. It’s mayhem.”
King and O’Donnell were at the Sheraton for an awards ceremony that honored O’Donnell. When O’Donnell took the stage, she danced with King before explaining — once again — how tight they are.
“She’s the one I call when I need advice or a good pep talk,” O’Donnell said before deepening her voice and impersonating King. “She says ‘Norah, do you have a bathroom in your house? Do you have a mirror? I want you to go put on a blue shirt because it makes your eyes shine really blue and I want you to stand in front of that mirror and I want you to slap yourself. Just slap yourself and say ‘I’m effing Norah O’Donnell.”