Gayle King turns heads on first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover at age 69

It's a brand-new day, and "CBS Mornings" co-anchor Gayle King is a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover star.

The broadcasting legend, who is set to turn 70 later this year, learned the news Tuesday in a surprise moment during the morning show.

As King interviewed this year's SI Swimsuit cover stars and models Hunter McGrady and Kate Upton, when the chat took a surprising turn when King's co-host Nate Burleson said, "Kate and Hunter aren't the only cover stars in the room right now," before pointing at Oprah's best friend and confidante.

"She is right here!" Upton said before showing King a copy of her cover. The revelation elicited cheers and clapping from King who said, "I'm on the cover? They told me I was just going to be on the inside!"

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McGrady chimed in with a "Yes girl, you did that!" and added that "sexy isn't an age, sexy isn't a size," calling King's cover "so inspiring to women of all ages." King also praised her cover photographer Yu Tsai, who shot all of the SI Swimsuit covers. In addition to her own cover, King landed on the franchise's special legends cover.

King said she told the magazine that she did not want retouching done on her SI Swimsuit shoot, quipping that she had a cheeseburger the day before her cover shoot.

"They said, 'what about retouching?' I said, 'I don't really want retouching.' I don't mind if you take out a couple of dimples in the thighs however, but I really didn't want it," King told the group.

Gayle King headlines Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition with Kate Upton, Chrissy Teigen

King, Upton and McGrady headline the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover models along with model and Cravings mogul Chrissy Teigen and 23 other cover models celebrating the franchise's 60th anniversary on a special legends cover.

This year's SI Swimsuit lineup also features Chanel Iman, Christen Harper, host Kamie Crawford, Katie Austin and Louisiana State University gymnastics star Olivia "Livvy" Dunne. SI Swimsuit roster rookies include Brittany Mahomes, Jena Sims, Lori Harvey and Big 12 athletes Alexa Massari, Jasmine Williams and Jillian Hayes.

On the SI Swimsuit website, editor-in-chief MJ Day said King "not so gently reminds us that women are limitless and control their destinies."

"It wasn't something I dreamed about, but it was one of the highlights of all the things I've done because I never thought this would be possible," King told People magazine of the SI Swimsuit.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gayle King stars on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover