Gayle King hosted CBS Mornings from the back of a van outside of the studio after she tested positive for COVID-19 alongside co-anchor Vlad Duthiers – but said she still hopes to go on vacation tomorrow following ‘multiple negative tests.’
Gayle, 67, said she fell to the floor when she tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, and had to ‘literally be picked up’ off the ground by CBS executive producer Shawna Thomas.
The talk show host explained that they take many tests throughout the week for the show, and when one PCR test came back positive, she was completely stunned – since she is ‘so freaking careful.’
But she wasn’t going to to let the positive COVID test stop her from doing her job. Rather then going home to isolate – she decided to shoot her segment alone from the back of a van.
The TV personality said she was determined to be on the show because her interview with the parents of Bakari Henderson, a 22-year-old who was beaten to death in 2017, was airing – something she said was ‘so important to her.’
Gayle has since received ‘multiple’ negative tests and she still hopes to head off on her ‘long planned’ vacation to Los Angeles, California, tomorrow.
Gayle King hosted CBS Mornings from the back of a van outside of the studio after she tested positive for COVID-19 alongside co-anchor Vlad Duthiers
Gayle, 67, said she fell to the floor when she tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, and had to ‘literally be picked up’ off the ground by CBS executive producer Shawna Thomas
The talk show host explained that they take many tests throughout the week, and when one PCR test came back positive, she was completely stunned – since she is ‘so freaking careful’
Tony Dokoupil broadcasted from inside the studio alongside Dana Jacobson – who both tested negative, while Gayle filmed her segment from a van by herself
‘I’m supposed to be heading to Los Angeles tomorrow. I’m still hoping to do that,’ she told co-host Tony Dokoupil from the van.
Tony broadcasted from inside the studio alongside Dana Jacobson – who both tested negative.
She continued: ‘Let me just tell you something. When you get the diagnosis, it really does — that primal scream you heard from the fourth floor was me because I’ve been so freaking careful.
‘I just couldn’t believe it. Shout out to Shawna who had to literally pick me off the floor and just guide me to the office because I had a positive PCR and a negative antigen.’
Gayle called the whole experience ‘jarring,’ but Tony reminded her to ‘stay calm and carry on.’
‘We’ve since taken multiple [tests]. They’ve all been negative. Everybody on my team is negative,’ said Gayle.
‘I don’t even know how to explain this. I just got off the phone with my doctor. She said, “Gayle, you’re fine. Just put on your mask and carry on on.” But it is very, very jarring, I have to say. The day before my vacation.’
When the show first started on Wednesday morning, Gayle explained that she had been exposed to the virus and was waiting on the results of her test.
She decided to film from a van outside, out of an ‘abundance of caution,’ while introducing her interview with Bakari’s parents.
When the show first started, Vlad (right) – who was filling in for Nate Burleson – was in the studio with his co-hosts
Vlad then discovered that he too had been exposed to the virus, and suddenly disappeared from the studio mid-broadcast – leaving Tony and Dana to carry on without him
Gayle has since received ‘multiple’ negative tests and she still hopes to head off on her ‘long planned’ vacation to Los Angeles, California, tomorrow
At the time, Vlad – who was filling in for Nate Burleson – was still in the studio with his co-hosts.
Gayle revealed: ‘I never expected to be sitting in a van. I came ready to go to work. There was an exposure, and now I’ve had a test, and we’re waiting for the results of my test.
‘So rather than take a chance that, you know, I could hurt anybody else or somebody else would be effected, you know, I’m down in the van.’
Bakari was killed by any angry mob during a business trip to Zakynthos, Greece, following an altercation at a bar.
None of the attackers were ever found guilty of murder – and his parents, Jill and Phil Henderson, are still fighting for justice for their son.
Now, they spoke exclusively to Gayle for their first ever interview, before returning to Greece for a retrial in Bakari’s murder case.
‘You know, I was — rather than isolating in my office, this story is so important to me, I did want to do it while we were waiting for my results,’ said Gayle before airing the interview.
Gayle was determined to be on the show because her interview with the parents of Bakari Henderson was airing – something she said was ‘so important to her’
Bakari was killed by any angry mob in Zakynthos, Greece, in 2017 following an altercation at a bar. His parents, Jill and Phil Henderson (pictured), spoke to Gayle for their first interview
‘So I’m here in the van all by my lonesome. I’m glad to be here. I’ll be back later in the show depending on my results.
‘I’m sitting here waiting, Tony, fingers, eyes, legs, toes, everything crossed. I’m just waiting.’
Vlad then discovered that he too had been exposed to the virus, and suddenly disappeared from the studio mid-broadcast – leaving Tony and Dana to carry on without him.
They later confirmed that he and Gayle had both tested positive. Tony said, ‘Gayle tested positive. Vlad also tested positive. But since then, we’ve had multiple negative tests – including us.’
The host called it a ‘different sort of morning’ at the CBS studio, but said he was determined to ‘carry on the show.’
‘So it’s been a different sort of morning around here at CBS Mornings,’ he joked. ‘You saw Gayle earlier. She is in a mobile van out of the an abundance of caution.
‘And [me and Dana] are negative. We are together here. We’re going to carry on the show.’
Gayle continued to work from the van for the rest of the show – and she even interviewed business woman and fashion designer Tina Knowles over video conference from the makeshift studio.
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