CBS This Morning is hoping that Oprah Winfrey will save the day and fill in for Charlie Rose after he was fired due to sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, sources tell Page Six.
“They are begging Oprah to fill in,” said a TV insider, according to Page Six. “Not full time . . . But they are hoping she’ll do one day, two days, one hour, fill in till Christmas. Anything.”
Currently, reports say a rotating cast of CBS News talent will step in. However, it is unknown how they will compare to the rivals at NBC and ABC. Twitter users have offered to help find a replacement, citing Tony Dokoupil and Bianna Golodryga, according to Page Six. Meanwhile, Jeff Glor was tapped to take over CBS Evening News.
Winfrey is friends with CBS This Morning co-host Gayle King, and she joined 60 Minuets in September. The insider told Page Six that the idea behind getting Winfrey to join is that, “Unless you get a superstar [on the show], it’s always going to be, ‘Charlie’s missing.”
A CBS representative declined to comment to Page Six and a rep for Winfrey said that the star has not been officially asked to be on the show. CBS “wooed” her for five years before she agreed to join 60 Minutes, writes Page Six.
Without Rose on the show, King is co-hosting it with Norah O’Donnell. Female anchors are owning the morning, with Lori Stokes named co-host of Fox 5’s Good Day New York with Rosanna Scotto, and NBC’s Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda has been gaining high ratings.
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