The secret A-Z ranking of daytime TV hosts revealed: Our snitch dishes the dirt... from the anchor who's about to QUIT to one with a 'ruthless streak'

Although a range of household anchors help to wake up the nation every morning with their expert knowledge and inside scoops on the news, who the real kings and queens of morning broadcast news are has been long up for debate… until now.

The Today show and Good Morning America have been staples across the country for decades, with CBS Mornings entering the fold in recent years.

And while these shows all claim to be one big happy family, each has their own breakout stars: Gayle King, Savannah Guthrie, and Robin Roberts to name but a few.

The Daily Mail has taken a close look at the who's who of morning television, unpacking how one popular star with a 'ruthless streak' has made it to the top, while another host is being singlehandedly blamed for major job cuts at GMA. 

And, even more crushingly, how one of the biggest names in daytime has had a fall from grace after a single move, which now runs the risk of destroying their career for good.

Without further ado, let's look at America's daytime power ranking - from A-list to D-list...

A-list

Dubbed 'the first lady of Good Morning America', Robin Roberts has been an anchor on the show for over two decades and has a price tag to match. She is said to be earning $20 million a year, making her the highest paid member of the GMA team.

Her longevity means she is usually the first port of call to interview big name guests, including President Joe Biden's first interview in the White House in 2020, and she co-hosted ABC's coverage of Harry and Meghan's wedding.

While she doesn't hide her sexual orientation, Robin has been more discreet about her private life on-air since she faced criticism when she brought her wife Amber Laign on the show in 2023 to celebrate their nuptials.

A GMA source tells me that she is popular behind the cameras with production staff but will do anything to protect her squeaky-clean image.

'She's got a ruthless streak. You don't get to the top and stay at the top by chance,' the insider claimed.

I'm told that was the reason she didn't invite her former long-time colleagues Amy Robach and TJ Holmes to her wedding after they had an affair and were fired by ABC.

Joining Robin on the A-List of daytime television is Today show powerhouse Savannah Guthrie.

Having co-anchored the program since 2012, the 53-year-old broadcaster has found herself at the front and center of the country's most popular morning show – and she's not going anywhere.

Savannah began her tenure at the network hosting alongside disgraced presenter Matt Lauer, before going on to present alongside Hoda Kotb.

As of January, following Hoda's departure, Savannah fronts Today with Craig Melvin, and is undeniably the bigger name of the two.

With 13 years of experience under her belt, it's no wonder that she has accrued power and popularity on the network – and there's simply no one more dedicated.

Savannah was across Today's election coverage on the morning of November 5 and returned for the network's evening coverage before she resumed her position the following morning - a tireless stint that didn't go unnoticed by viewers at home.

She hasn't completely escaped salacious gossip though, with reports emerging in 2022 and she and Hoda were secretly feuding behind the scenes.

Those reports were later deemed baseless by sources close to the Today show.

B-list

Nepo-baby television host Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of former president George W. Bush and Laura Bush, leads the B-list.

Mom-of-three Jenna, 43, has fronted the Today show's fourth hour since 2019, initially joining the program as Hoda's presenting partner.

Since Hoda's exit in January, she has been headlining her own show with a rotating cast of fill-in co-hosts, which have included Scarlett Johansson and Keke Palmer.

A huge part of Jenna's success is clearly down to her infectious personality, which shines through on the Today show.

Every day, she gives audiences across the country an insight into her marriage and family life, making her relatable and warming.

And there's no denying her huge popularity, having accrued an impressive 1.5 million followers on Instagram, easily beating Savannah's 1.1 million, and Craig's 412,000.

Her famous book club – Read with Jenna – has further helped catapult her into a household name, with her monthly reading recommendations having a huge influence over the charts.

Joining Jenna is Al Roker, a true national treasure and the nation's uncle.

Weather presenter Al has been part of the Today show family for close to three decades and luckily for viewers, he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

He assured me in January that he doesn't have any immediate plans to retire just yet – despite being 70.

Although he's managed to climb to the top of the pecking order with his new job co-hosting the Today show, Craig Melvin is still lacking the A-list star power and is designated B-list until further notice.

While his colleagues and fans alike were delighted to see him promoted, he's currently stuck in Savannah's shadow and is arguably not doing enough to break free.

With all that in mind, it has only been a mere three months since he got going – and one could argue that that is not enough time for Craig to be able to make a dent.

The standout star of GMA behind Robin is Michael Strahan. With his trademark gap-toothed smile and easy demeanor, the 53-year-old is a favorite among audiences.

Viewers have been particularly moved by the new grandfather's support for his teenage daughter, Isabella, who was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a rare brain cancer, in October 2023.

He did, however, face a backlash in November. At Naval Base San Diego, when a marching band played Star Spangled Banner to honor Veteran's Day, other TV stars had their hands on their hearts while Michael was captured on camera standing at the end of the line with his arms folded across the lower half of his body.

Friends were quick to defend the host, and said the son of Major Gene Strahan who served the nation for 23 years was a proud patriot who was simply caught up in the moment.

A former NFL star, Michael currently juggles his role as a GMA anchor with his duties as an analyst on Fox NFL Sunday, working up to six or seven days a week during football season.

As for his future at the network, it doesn't seem like he'll be there for much longer.  

'He's done,' says an insider. 'Michael doesn't want to face another year of cuts and infighting at ABC.

'He would much rather spend time with his family, especially after everything they have been through. He will be out by this summer.'

C-list

GMA is in crisis with large layoffs announced this month and long-time staffers packing up their boxes to leave – and there's one presenter being held responsible by some for its downturn.

'It's a nightmare in the office and there's one man getting all the blame for the cuts, and that's George Stephanopoulos,' says my source.

He's even been called 'the most hated man in the building' at ABC headquarters after the network settled a $15 million lawsuit with then president-elect Donald Trump, 78, after the network was sued over the anchor's on-air comments.

George erroneously claimed on-air that the president-elect was found 'liable for rape' - rather than the correct phrasing of sexual abuse - against writer E. Jean Carroll. As part of the settlement, he was forced to issue a public apology.

When his contract, for an estimated $18 million, was reportedly renewed in late 2024 I'm told there was a mixture of 'anger and astonishment' from junior staff facing job losses.

'He's got a pretty large target on his back. The only consolation is he knows everyone despises him and he's pretty miserable,' my source added.

If rumors are to be believed, the 64-year-old anchor may leave GMA of his volition to spend more time making documentaries with wife Ali Wentworth.

While she is currently off screen, Today show's Sheinelle Jones remains firmly on the C-list.

Sheinelle, 46, hasn't been on the program since December as she is currently taking time off to focus on a private family health matter.

Although there's not been any hint as to when she'll be back, viewers haven't given up speculating about her absence or missing her – cementing her as a firm favorite among the rest of the anchors.

D-list

Viewers love to hate standout CBS Mornings star Gayle King – and perhaps she would have still been among the A-list if she hadn't signed up to Jeff Bezos's space trip which has tragically spearheaded her catastrophic fall from grace.

It was revealed last month that the 70-year-old news anchor and close chum of Oprah Winfrey is joining Lauren Sanchez, Katy Perry and an all-women crew to blast off on one of the Amazon billionaire's rocket ships in the spring.

The decision, understandably, has not gone down well, with many baffled at how she'll ever be able to objectively report on Bezos again.

Before accepting the controversial space mission, Gayle, who has fronted CBS Mornings since 2012, had a reputation for not shying away from asking divisive questions.

In January, for example, she was accused of race baiting when asking why there weren't more people of color at the Trump swearing-in.

And more recently, she added fuel to the fire with the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni case, by asking their It Ends with Us co-star Brandon Sklenar if he was Team Blake or Team Justin.

Last year, it was reported that Gayle had extended her contract with the show until early 2025. Whether she has since renewed that contract remains to be seen.

With her reputation now in tatters, could she be about to walk away from CBS Mornings altogether? It would be quite the tragic end to her accomplished career…

Z-list

The only hosts who could possibly trump Gayle at the bottom of the pile are Amy Roback and T.J. Holmes. 

The pair were on-screen husband and wife at GMA3, but their careers came to an end when their real-life extra-marital affair went public.

Since then, the disgraced duo have insisted countless times that they were separated from their respective spouses before getting together - but sources have told us that was not the case.

Amy and T.J. grew close while training for the New York City Half-Marathon in March 2022. By that May, they were spotted canoodling in bars near their workplace.

They now host a podcast together called Amy and T.J. and are officially together.

Luckily, last January, Amy declared on their podcast that she is done with daytime.

'I learned that I never want to go back to the grind of morning television,' she said. 

'I learned that I don't miss the job, I miss the people.' 

Earlier this month, they ignited engagement rumors after Amy was spotted with a ring on her finger.  

T.J.'s former wife Marilee Fiebig is now with Amy's former husband of 12 years, Andrew Shue, and they have just moved in together.