Gayle King Says She Will Not Replace Oprah Winfrey

Now that talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has announced she's stepping down in 2011, rumors are flying about who might replace her.

Among the rumored replacements: Gayle King, known to many daytime fans as Oprah's best friend.

King responded to the reports on Monday in Manhattan, telling Access Hollywood, "That's a very good rumor. That is not true. I haven't had one conversation with CBS about taking over that 4PM slot."

Aha! So, does that mean she's in talks for a different time slot? Probably not. "I don't know anybody that could take over that slot," she added.Now that talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has announced she's stepping down in 2011, rumors are flying about who might replace her.

Among the rumored replacements: Gayle King, known to many daytime fans as Oprah's best friend.

King responded to the reports on Monday in Manhattan, telling Access Hollywood, "That's a very good rumor. That is not true. I haven't had one conversation with CBS about taking over that 4PM slot."

Aha! So, does that mean she's in talks for a different time slot? Probably not. "I don't know anybody that could take over that slot," she added.

Other names being tossed around include Sarah Palin, Kate Gosselin and Ellen DeGeneres, who, of course, already has her own talk show.

In recent years, King has served as the editor-in-chief of 'O, The Oprah Magazine,' hosted 'The Gayle King Show' on XM radio (as part of the Oprah and Friends network) and has also been a frequent guest on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.'

Speculation is also high about who Oprah's final guest might be: While Oprah's perma-fiancé Stedman Graham is a popular choice, King would neither confirm or deny. "That's a game we're all playing," she said. "Everybody has an idea."

In the meantime, King will continue to serve as Oprah's best friend -- because, hey, that's what friends are for.