2024 SI Swimsuit Cover Model Gayle King Is the Epitome Of Success

The Emmy Award-winning journalist, 69, is not slowing down anytime soon.

Gayle King Was ‘Mind-Blown’ When She Got Her SI Swimsuit Cover Offer /

Every weekday, 3 million viewers tune in to watch CBS Mornings cohost Gayle King report on international news, conduct live interviews and, overall, provide an authoritative and friendly face on morning television. The 69-year-old mother and grandmother, who is also the editor at large of Oprah Daily, can now add yet another accomplishment to her ever-growing list of accolades: 2024 SI Swimsuit Issue cover model.

When King first got the call from editor in chief MJ Day inviting her to pose for the 60th anniversary magazine, she truly couldn’t wrap her mind around it.

“I honest to God thought I had been Punk’d,” King admits. “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.”

View Gayle King’s 2024 SI Swimsuit gallery here.

View Gayle King’s 2024 Legends gallery here.

After getting over the initial shock, King graciously accepted the offer and traveled to Mexico for her cover girl moment with SI Swimsuit, where she stepped in front of photographer Yu Tsai’s lens. And while King is no stranger to playfully posing in a swimsuit on Instagram, the opportunity to do so professionally afforded her the chance to issue a reminder that women from all walks of life deserve to be celebrated.

“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,” King states.

Gayle King was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

That same celebratory notion extends to the idea that women can (and should) continue to achieve their career-related goals, regardless of age or societal norms. King, who graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in psychology, is a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, a job that affords her a “front-row seat to history,” she says. With such an incredible résumé, King has great wisdom to offer when it comes to succeeding at work.

“My advice is always in whatever field you choose, make sure the boss knows your name,” she suggests. “People always notice when someone’s working hard and trying hard and they notice when somebody’s good at your good at their job, regardless of what it is. So you want to make sure the boss knows your name for all the right reasons.”

Gayle King was photographed by Yu Tsai in Mexico. Swimsuit by OYE. Swimwear Coverup by Camilla. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

And while King says many people have asked her if she’s getting ready to slow down and retire, nothing could be further from her mind.

“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,’” King says. “As long as I still feel that way about any job that I have, I don’t intend to stop.”