Gayle King just made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut, and her photoshoot preparation was refreshingly relaxed.
“The day before, I did have a cheeseburger,” The 69-year-old television personality told People in an interview published on Tuesday, May 14. “It’s one of my favorite things. I did think that I would reduce my eating, but I didn’t even do that.”
King’s laid back approach to her photoshoot preparation is partially thanks to the encouragement of SI Swimsuit’s editor-in-chief, MJ Day.
“I said to MJ, ‘God, now I’m going to have to start starving myself,’ and she said, ‘Absolutely do not do that. We don’t want you to change anything that you’re doing,’” King recalled to People.
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King is featured on one of SI Swimsuit’s 2024 covers. In the photos, the CBS Mornings host posed on a beach and by a pool in Mexico in a variety of swimwear looks, including a ruched green one-piece, a gold swimsuit with a plunging neckline and a black one-piece, which she wore underneath a see-through mesh cover up dress.
She joins models Chrissy Teigen and Hunter McGrady, who each have their own respective covers. In honor of the magazine’s 60th anniversary, three additional covers were also produced featuring 27 SI Swimsuit legends, including Christie Brinkley, Martha Stewart, Tyra Banks, Paulina Porizkova and Winnie Harlow.
“I never in a million years thought I would be standing here in a bathing suit for Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit], but here I am, which says to me that sometimes people can dream, God can dream, the universe can dream a bigger dream than you can ever think for yourself,” King told SI Swimsuit.
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“I would have never thought this was possible. This was nowhere on my bucket list. So I’m thinking maybe it was a dream that I didn’t even know I wanted because now that I’m here, I want it bad,” she added.
