Last month, ABC’s Good Morning America was thrown into disarray when it was revealed via paparazzi photos that longtime co-anchors Amy Robach and TJ Holmes were involved in a personal relationship — despite the on-air colleagues being married to other people.
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The co-hosts, who anchored GMA3, an afternoon spinoff of the network’s popular morning show, were put on temporary hiatus after ABC News president Kim Godwin dubbed their romance an “internal and external distraction” — though she clarified that the affair did not specifically violate any company policy.
Now, that temporary hiatus has become a permanent decision as the network has announced that the pair will depart the network.
“After several productive conversations with Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, about different options, we all agreed it’s best for everyone that they move on from ABC News,” an ABC News spokesperson said in a company statement. “We recognize their talent and commitment over the years and are thankful for their contributions.”
Godwin informed staff via an internal memo late Friday evening.
“I know that this has been a distraction for so many of us, but let’s not forget all the great work that continues to make ABC News the #1 news network in America, and that’s because of you,” Godwin penned, per CNN. “I want to thank you again for your patience and professionalism during this time.”
There is no immediate plan for who will replace the duo. There has been a rotating slew of guest anchors since they were taken off the air, including DeMarco Morgan, Rhiannon Ally, Gio Benitez, and Stephanie Ramos.
Robach was also a co-anchor for the popular investigative ABC program “20/20.” Her replacement there will be decided later this year, per Godwin’s memo.
Shortly after the news broke of their permanent exit, photos surfaced of the now-public couple holding hands and hugging in Los Angeles.
On December 1, the day after the photos of the two first publicly surfaced, GMA3 saw a record number of 1.81 million viewers — an 11% increase from the three prior broadcast average of 1.62 million viewers.
As of Monday morning, both Robach’s Twitter and Instagram bios still stated that she worked for ABC.
Holmes deleted his accounts when news first broke of the affair last month. They have not been reactivated.
