Gayle King is America's morning person

No matter how much you think you are a morning person, you are nothing compared to Gayle King. As the host of CBS Mornings, she's up before you are, looking great, feeling sharp, talking to incredibly important and famous people and basically starting the nation's day.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Peter Sagal: You get up, you said at 3:24 [AM].

Gayle King: So my alarm goes off. I do three snoozes, then I get in the tub because I actually bathe every single day. Then the car picks me up, go to our studio in Times Square, do hair and makeup because I don't wake up this cute. It takes a village. Then it's off to the races.

PS: Let's talk about your interviewing style, because you're famous for it. Do you have a secret to interviews? Do you talk in terms of preparation or an attitude?

Well, I do think I'm very prepared. If an author comes on, I read their book. If there's a movie, I watch the movie, if there's a TV show. And, you know, we have great producers who take really copious notes. Right. They read all the books. They give you the questions and all that good stuff. But I like to read the book myself because I'm always looking for a little nugget that's not on the sheet.

PS: You have done a lot of tough interviews. Can you tell us the toughest interview you've ever done?

The toughest interview would be with Frank Zappa. May he rest in peace.

PS: Oh yes. I remember famously, he was not taking kindly to you.

No, he was not nice. I mean, you know, his kids' names are Dweezil and Moon Unit. Now, call me crazy, but I'd never heard those names before. And so I figured there was a back story to it. That there was a back story. So I was a baby reporter at the time, but it's still so scary and jarring. I still remember it. And I said, "oh, you know, those are very interesting names. How did you and your wife come up with them? Do they have a meaning?" He goes, "No, they're just names like Gayle. Stupid question." I mean... And I went, "Oh, okay." And then later I saw someone else asked the exact same question. He had a whole story about where the names came from. It just said to me on that particular day he didn't feel like what I call playing.

PS: You do something that I never have had the nerve to do, which is a lot of live broadcasting.

Oh, I love that.

PS: Well, do you? Because I'm terrified. Because I constantly make mistakes. Almost no one ever finds out.

No, no, no. I love that, Peter. The reason why I love it is because you can't take it back when you're taping something.

PS: And I hate it.

But even psychologically, if you're doing a pre-tape with someone, I hate those because we all know in the room, well, if it screws up, we can do it over. I really love live because you're working without a net.

PS: What I was going to ask you was, have you made any, like on air mistakes?

I think the one that I get a kick out of now, at the time I was mortified, but I was a baby reporter just starting out. It was my first anchor job, a weekend anchor. And I'm sitting there with two white guys who were on the set with me, the sports guy and a weather guy. And I meant to say, you know, "we'll all be back next week." And instead I said, "we'll all be black next weekend." And then, you know, and they both froze up. People were so afraid of race. I went, "Well, I'll still be black. The rest of these guys will be back."

PS: We know that you're a big Taylor Swift fan, like all reasonable people.

And I want to go to that show, too.

PS: But you had the same problem as everybody else getting tickets. You were online for 3 hours with Ticketmaster like everybody else.

No, I haven't tried that with Taylor yet.

PS: No, you haven't?

No, no. But I do want to go. I waited in line for an hour for the Popeye's fried chicken sandwich. It was delicious!

PS: I'm sorry, WHAT?

Yes, when it first came out, I said, you know, what's all the fuss all about? I went to nine different ones because it was sold out. I waited in line for an hour. And I tell you, that chicken sandwich was delicious.

Falie Salie: But did anyone in line say, "Aren't you Gayle King?"

Yeah, they did. They did. And what did you and I went. I know, I know. I know, I know, I know, I know. But I do want to go to Taylor. I'm trying to figure that out. It seems to be a bit of a kerfuffle and getting the tickets. I think no.

PS: No one in this entire vast auditorium believes that you can't just make a call. I'm just telling you that I don't believe it. Does anybody here believe that?

Peter, I didn't say I wasn't going to make a call! You said, "You're in line for 3 hours," and I said "No I'm not!" I'm definitely going to make a call!

Negin Farsad: Just don't let her know that she's on par with a chicken sandwich. Oh, right. When you make that call.

PS: Taylor, I love you. Not. I mean, you're not like a chicken sandwich. You wouldn't wait in line for you. But...

But listen, Peter, I never asked for freebies or I never. I always say I want to pay. I just want to have good seats!

This is an excerpt from Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, NPR's weekly news quiz. Have a laugh and test your knowledge with today's funniest comedians. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or listen on NPR One, and you can find us on Instagram. Want to come out to our live shows at our new home at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago, IL or on the road? Just check out nprpresents.org.