The Early Show began on November 1, 1999 when CBS executives successfully lured former Today show host Bryant Gumbel to head up the broadcast, teamed with newcomer Jane Clayson. The show was completely revamped, and affiliates were asked to carry the entire two-hour broadcast in its entirety as the original This Morning format was abandoned. Mark McEwen once again did the weather, and Julie Chen read the news. Ratings were not encouraging, and were actually lower than the show it had replaced, CBS This Morning. Gumbel left in 2002, and shortly thereafter Clayson and McEwen were replaced by the current team of four. To keep affiliates happy, CBS went back to the local/national hybrid format which still exists today. Julie Chen was the only holdover from the original cast. The show also has a number of "correspondents" who do short segments on specific issues; Martha Stewart, Martha Quinn, Bobby Flay, and Bob Vila, among others, have been featured in this role. Stewart's participation garnered headlines on June 25, 2002, due to her obsessively chopping vegetables for a salad while refusing to answer Clayson's questions regarding her stock fraud scandal. The current hosts are Julie Chen, Harry Smith, Hannah Storm, and weatherman Dave Price. The Early Show features celebrity interviews and light entertainment and news pieces.