Gayle King Stunned by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Debut for 60th Anniversary Edition

Gayle King, co-host of “CBS Mornings,” recently shared her astonishment upon being asked to pose for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 60th anniversary edition, admitting she initially believed it was a prank.

“I honest to God thought I had been ‘Punk’d,’” the 69-year-old King revealed to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, referencing the popular MTV prank show that began in 2003, which featured elaborate pranks on celebrities. She recounted her reaction when she received the call from Editor-in-Chief MJ Day: “And when I called MJ back at Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit], I actually said, ‘Are you punking me?’ That was my initial reaction. I actually didn’t believe it.”

The surprises didn’t end there for King. On Tuesday, she discovered that her photo shoot would also grace the cover of the 60th anniversary edition. This revelation came during an interview on “CBS Mornings,” when fellow cover models Kate Upton and Hunter McGrady presented her with the magazine.

“I’m on the cover?” King exclaimed in disbelief as Upton showed her the issue. “They told me I was just going to be on the inside.” King expressed her gratitude to photographer Yu Tsai for his help during the shoot, reflecting, “I just never saw myself this way. I still don’t see myself this way. But when I look at that … I go, ‘I look damn good.’”

King traveled to Mexico for the photo shoot, where she was reminded of the importance of celebrating and uplifting women of all ages, colors, and sizes. She emphasized this sentiment in her interview with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, saying, “I think it’s important to celebrate women of all ages, all colors, all sizes, you know why? Because that’s who we are as women people.”

Despite the milestone, King made it clear she has no plans to slow down. Reflecting on her career and philosophy, she said, “I look at these people and I say, ‘Why? Are you slowing down?’ Success is liking what you do, liking how you do it, and liking who you are. And I just think, ‘Check, check, check.’ As long as I still feel that way about any job that I have, I don’t intend to stop.”

The 60th-anniversary edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is set to be released on Friday. King, who has been a co-host on “CBS Mornings” for over a decade, also had a brief stint co-hosting a CNN talk show with Charles Barkley. Despite its struggle to find a strong audience in the competitive cable news landscape, King continues to be a prominent figure in broadcasting.