Elisabeth Hasselbeck to Guest-Host CBS Mornings as Network Tries New Morning Format

Elisabeth Hasselbeck will appear as a special guest host on CBS Mornings from Monday through Wednesday next week, according to Variety. The former View co‑host will fill the 8 a.m. slot alongside regular hosts Gayle King and Nate Burleson, discussing parenting, pop culture and other lifestyle topics.

The move is part of a series of on‑air tryouts that CBS News is conducting as it seeks to revamp its morning programming. Sources told Variety that Hasselbeck’s appearance is one of several auditions designed to evaluate potential changes to the show’s format and lineup. The network has reportedly asked its editor‑in‑chief, Bari Weiss, to consider Hasselbeck as a possible long‑term addition.

CBS Mornings launched in September 2021 and has been anchored by King and Burleson since the departure of Tony Dokoupil, who was promoted to CBS Evening News. The program is produced live every weekday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time out of Studio 57 in the CBS Broadcast Center. In recent years the show has shifted toward lighter content, a change that began under CBS News president Tom Cibrowski, who previously worked on Good Morning America.

CBS is looking to boost ratings, which have lagged behind the network’s competitors. For the week of June 1, CBS Mornings averaged 1.693 million total viewers and 285,000 viewers in the 25‑54 demographic, according to Nielsen data reported by Adweek. ABC’s Good Morning America averaged 2.702 million total viewers and 470,000 demo viewers, while NBC’s Today averaged 2.928 million total viewers and 640,000 demo viewers. A May 10 rating snapshot from USTVDB listed CBS Mornings as the 23rd most popular show on CBS and 62nd overall on television, with a weekly average of 1.834 million viewers.

In addition to Hasselbeck, Variety reports that other CBS News regulars, including Vladimir Duthiers and Adriana Diaz, are expected to participate in the on‑air auditions. The program’s format has traditionally focused on serious news and longer interviews, but the network’s recent strategy has incorporated more entertainment and lifestyle segments.

Hasselbeck’s background as a former Survivor contestant, a decade‑long co‑host on The View, and a commentator on Fox & Friends gives her a profile that CBS believes could appeal to a broader audience. Her appearance will cover topics that are currently underrepresented in the morning news format, such as parenting advice and pop‑culture trends.

CBS has not announced a permanent change to its morning lineup. The network is evaluating the results of the guest‑host tryouts and will decide whether to make a permanent adjustment to the show’s format or host roster.

The current situation is that CBS Mornings will continue to air with King and Burleson as hosts, with Hasselbeck, Duthiers, and Diaz filling in during the trial period. No definitive decision has been made regarding a permanent addition to the show.

The network’s next steps will involve reviewing audience feedback and ratings data from the trial period before determining whether to adopt a new format or host lineup.