Charlie Rose Health Crisis — New Heart Surgery

Regular viewers of “CBS This Morning” were shocked to find host Charlie Rose missing from the cameras — as co-anchors Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell revealed that he's undergoing heart surgery on Feb. 9! The unexpected announcement from the 75-year-old newsman shocked longtime fans, who had watched the "60 Minutes" correspondent work harder than ever wcrisis in March 2006, when he was rushed to Paris after being stricken in Syria.

At the time, the Paris operation revealed that Charlie had already undergone a valve implant in New York City. “Almost 15 years ago," said Charlie in a Feb. 8 statement, "skilled surgeons replaced my aorta valve with a new replacement valve...To continue to live this amazing life so full of challenges and friends, including so many of you in the audience, I have chosen to replace the valve with a new one."

“So tomorrow," continued Charlie, "I will undergo surgery which will keep me at the hospital for a few days, and then resting for a couple of weeks. I look forward to seeing you in March. In the meantime, you are in great hands with my remarkable colleagues — Norah and Gayle, backed by the best morning team anywhere."

The shocking health statement is especially troubling to New York City media professionals, who are used to seeing Charlie always out on the social scene, as well. Norah O'Donnell added that Charlie had told her that he was “optimistic and excited" about the operation, which he insisted was just a "tune-up.”