Gayle King 'CBS This Morning' Debut: BFF Oprah Shows Support

Gayle King, known for years as Oprah's BFF, has stepped into the spotlight on her own as a co-anchor for CBS This Morning on Monday.

At the beginning of King's big moment, Oprah tweeted support to her longtime friend, a former anchor at local station WFSB who will be hosting the morning news program with PBS legend Charlie Rose and Anderson Cooper 360 alum Erica Hill.

Morning tweeps..I'm up early to watch CBS morning news. Gayles debut. 4 25 years she watched my show while working out, now I will [sic] Oprah tweeted at the beginning of the show.

There were tabloid rumors that King's decision to take the CBS offer upset longtime friend Oprah because she had to dump The Gayle King Show on Oprah's OWN network after a year for the new morning gig. A source told the sensational National Enquirer that Oprah was terribly hurt about the decision.

But King told the paper Oprah was encouraging and supportive. King is continuing to be an editor-at-large at O, the Oprah Magazine.

I'm not underestimating the power of Oprah's friendship, but I have worked a very long time and this isn't my first rodeo, the 57-year-old said. I have earned this.

Oprah seconded the positive sentiment on her pro-King Twitter spree. Gayle got bigger offer, more exposure from CBS. I could not be happier for her. She Loves news [sic], she wrote Sunday night.

King has won three Emmys for her on-air journalism. CBS first took note of her when she occasionally guest-starred on MSNBC's Morning Joe with former WFSB anchor Miki Brzezinski, according to the Hartford Courant.

CBS This Morning airs from 7 to 9 a.m. ET on weekday and aims to offer viewers a more thoughtful, substantive and insightful source of news and information, including viral What's Hot items as well as the 2012 election and financial well being.

King told the Hartford Courant she was excited and scared to make her CBS debut.

The thing is, CBS hasn't been number one in that time slot since 'Captain Kangaroo,' King said. We are all very mindful of that, and I feel tremendous pressure because there is a lot at stake here.