Norah O’Donnell Returning to ‘CBS Mornings’ as Network Touts ‘Strongest Cast’

Norah O’Donnell is heading back to mornings at CBS, reuniting with her former co-anchor Gayle King seven years after leaving the network’s morning show.

O’Donnell, 52, will join King, 71, and Nate Burleson as an anchor of CBS Mornings, according to an internal memo sent to staff and obtained by Globe.

“This is a homecoming for Norah,” the memo reads.

O’Donnell previously spent several years helping lead CBS This Morning alongside King before moving to the CBS Evening News in 2019.

Now, the network is shining a spotlight on the pair’s history together as it welcomes O’Donnell back into the morning fold.

“They have a friendship and chemistry that extends beyond the studio,” the memo continues. “They know each other, respect each other, and — maybe most importantly — genuinely enjoy each other.”

The memo adds, “To put it simply, I can’t think of a team I’d rather watch navigate the news than Gayle, Nate and Norah.”

While O’Donnell left the CBS Evening News anchor desk in January 2025 after nearly six years in the role, she didn’t leave CBS News entirely. She remained with the network as one of the correspondents on 60 Minutes.

The longtime journalist has interviewed every living U.S. president and even landed an exclusive interview with Pope Francis in 2024.

CBS is now hoping the revamped morning lineup with O’Donnell, King and Burleson can compete with its rivals.

“Put the three of them together, and we have something very special,” the memo reads. “Add in Vlad Duthiers, Kelly O’Grady, and Adriana Diaz, and we have the strongest cast in morning news.”

As Globe previously reported, King, who first joined CBS Mornings in 2012, signed on for one more year with the show amid rumors she would be let go as part of network shakeups following the arrival of new CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.