ABC has taken Good Morning America co-anchors Amy Robach and TJ Holmes off the air after it was publicly disclosed that they were having an affair.
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On a staff call Monday morning, ABC News President Kim Godwin called the public spectacle of the pair’s romance an “internal and external distraction” despite noting that the coworkers did not violate any company rules.
“I want to say that while that relationship is not a violation of company policy, I have really taken the last few days to think about and work through what I think is best for the ABC News organization,” Godwin reportedly told employees. “I’m asking that we stop the whispering in the hallways. You know, we can’t operate with gossip, and speculation and rumors. We need to stay focused on the work.”
The decision to take the couple off of the air comes days after photos emerged of Robach and Holmes, who are both married to other people, holding hands. The situation has drawn quite a reaction from fans of the show, the majority of which seem to be rooting for the couple in the long run.
The whole TJ Holmes and Amy Robach just reminds me of American romcoms especially Christmas ones. No wonder people are rooting for them.
— Raquel (@formerlyRedRose) December 3, 2022
idk I think the Amy Robach/ T.J. Holmes thing is kind of cute
— unfair isle (@unfair_isle) December 2, 2022
I think T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach make a cute couple . I’m all for it .
— Wambli Eagleman (@WambliEagleman) December 2, 2022
The two continued to film the show — business as usual — last Friday where Holmes joked on-air that it had “been a great week.”
The decision to not immediately take Robach and Holmes off the air was reportedly deliberate — in a strategic manner to bank on higher ratings — after all, viewers were glued to their screens to see how the couple acted in light of their affair being made public.
The pair co-hosts the afternoon version of Good Morning America, aptly named GMA3, which generated almost $43.4 million in advertising money in 2021. In May of this year, the show reached a new milestone when it was ranked No. 1 in total viewers, beating out rival shows TODAY Hoda & Jenna and The Talk.
The couple will be replaced in the interim by Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez with no confirmation on whether or not the two will become permanent replacements. Neither Robach nor Holmes has publicly made a statement.
