Gayle King Tells Our Young Guest PEOPLE Reporter Why She Used to 'Hate Being Tall' — But Now Loves It! (Exclusive)
- - Gayle King Tells Our Young Guest PEOPLE Reporter Why She Used to 'Hate Being Tall' — But Now Loves It! (Exclusive)
Liza Esquibias, Carly BreitDecember 28, 2025 at 6:00 AM
0
Roy Rochlin/Getty
Gayle King at the Big Brother Big Sisters of America benefit on Nov. 19 -
Gayle King is reflecting on her own childhood while talking with PEOPLE's special "Little Reporter" Kylie at 2025 Big Brothers Big Sisters BIG Benefit on Nov. 19
King, who has two kids of her own and three grandchildren, bonds with Kylie about being tall
The little girl also shares her dreams for the future, which impress King
Everyone taps into their inner child from time to time.
Gayle King's interview with PEOPLE at the Big Brothers Big Sisters BIG Benefit earlier this month brought her back in time when our “Little Reporter” Kylie, 10, stepped in to chat with the iconic journalist.
“You’re 10 years old? You are so tall! I love that. Don’t you love that?” King, 70, exclaims upon meeting the young girl, who responds, “Yes!”
Presley Ann/Patrick McMullan/Getty From left: William Bumpus Jr., Gayle King and Kirby Bumpus
King, who is now 5'10, goes on to share her own memories of being tall as a child and how her perspective on her height has changed as she’s gotten older.
“When I was 11 or 12, I was taller than all the boys and they used to tease me and I hated it,” she reveals. “Now I love it, so I’m hoping that never changes for you.”
The interview then takes a turn when the CBS News anchor begins to ask Kylie some questions.
“So what are you thinking at 10 years old?” King wonders.
“I’m thinking that I wanna make more friends,” Kylie explains. “I want to be really popular. I’m already popular, but I want to be popular in a lot of places. And maybe when I grow up, I wanna be like an architect or have a business partner.”
An impressed King replies: “A business partner? I like how you’re thinking, Kylie.”
Kylie took her turn at being a reporter for a special evening at the gala, helping PEOPLE interview all the stars on the carpet.
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
It’s no surprise that King had such a natural connection with Kylie, as she’s previously spoken about her love for children. During an appearance on a 2022 episode of the We Are Family podcast, the TV host opened up about wanting to be a mom since she was in middle school.
"Your whole world revolves around this little creature that comes into your lives," she said of motherhood at the time.
King has two children, whom she welcomed with her ex-husband, William Bumpus, during their 11-year marriage: Daughter Kirby Bumpus was born in 1986 and son William Bumpus Jr. was born in 1987. She is now a grandmother to three grandchildren as well.
Oprah Winfrey, King's best friend and godmother to her kids, has praised her friend for her parenting skills in the past.
“I’ve never seen a better mother,” the former talk show host told PEOPLE in 2019. “She basically raised them herself. She is always present for them, and she also knows the line between friendship and mother.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
