Gayle King is simply being her authentic, refreshingly honest self on Call Her Daddy. At 71, she's unapologetically open about what she wants in a partner, challenging ageist stereotypes about older women and their romantic lives.
The real bombshell wasn't her dating preferences — it was when King casually dropped that she caught ex-husband William Bumpus cheating with a close friend. Sources say the revelation left listeners stunned, and Bumpus scrambled to issue damage control statements to Page Six within hours of the episode dropping.
Gayle King revealed on Call Her Daddy (May 28, 2026) that she likes 'big' men — specifically big hands, chest, muscles, and feet. She said her ex William Bumpus apologized publicly after nearly 40 years: 'I thought we were friends!' King told Cooper, recalling catching the other woman in a towel.
Gayle King just proved she's still got range — from dating dealbreakers to devastating marriage confessions. But here's the thing: she dropped a nuclear bomb about her ex-husband's infidelity and somehow let 'big hands' steal the spotlight. Classic misdirection, or did she know exactly what she was doing?
Gayle King is not holding back anymore. The 71-year-old CBS Mornings anchor sat down with Alex Cooper on her wildly popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week, and let's just say — Gayle came to play. When asked what people would be surprised to know she's into, the media mogul didn't hesitate: "I like big, Alex, in every way." She elaborated for the 31-year-old host, listing off her preferences with zero shame: "You can take with that big hands, big chest, big muscles, big feet.
Do with that what you will." But wait — there's more drama where that came from. Beyond the fetish revelations, King got real about what actually makes her weak in the knees. "My panties come off for a guy with a sense of humor," she told Cooper.
"Somebody that can make you laugh." Apparently, that's non-negotiable for the journalism legend. She also shared some first-date dealbreakers — smoking being an instant no-go — and revealed she's actively looking for someone slightly younger than her. Why?
Because she wants a man who "can pick me up and carry me across the room" without complaining about his back. Ouch. "Guys my age, they tend to be a little boring," King added.
"You can't generalize, but that has been my experience so far." The ideal date night, per Gayle? "I love a good restaurant. I love a movie.
I like a restaurant, movie, then we can talk about the movie. I love that." Honestly? Same energy.
Now here's where things get interesting — and by interesting, I mean devastating. During the same interview, King casually recalled walking in on her ex-husband William Bumpus cheating with a close friend during their marriage from 1982 to 1993. "I came home and caught him," she said of Bumpus, describing finding the other woman wearing only a towel.
King's response? "'I thought we were friends!'" She admitted it "sounded so pitiful." That's the kind of moment that stays with you for decades — and clearly, it's still raw for her even nearly 40 years later. Speaking of Bumpus, he didn't stay quiet for long. Within hours of the podcast dropping, he issued a public apology to Page Six: "My deepest apologies to Gayle, to our daughter Kirby and her husband Virgil, to our son William and his wife Elise, and to our three grandchildren, for the pain I caused decades ago." He added that King "has every right to share what was a painful chapter that changed the trajectory of our marriage and our family nearly 40 years ago" and claimed he's "endlessly grateful" she gave him their two children — Kirby, now 40, and Will, now 39.
Bumpus also noted he apologized once before in 2016 for the same incident. Let's be clear about what happened here: Gayle King used her Call Her Daddy appearance to kill multiple birds with one very sharp stone. She positioned herself as a vibrant, desirable 71-year-old who's unapologetically open about her romantic life — while simultaneously dragging her ex-husband's past infidelity back into the spotlight.
The timing of Bumpus's apology suggests his hand was forced. At 71, Gayle King just reminded everyone that she's still the most interesting person in any room she walks into — and she's not afraid to prove it.
