7 Stars Who Were Fired From Good Morning America
While there are plenty of competing morning shows out there, "Good Morning America" is often hailed as the gold standard of a.m. TV. While the hosts may put on a smiley, happy front for the cameras, though, their relationship with the network isn't always as peachy as it seems. Over the years, there have been several "GMA" hosts who have been axed from the show for various reasons — some of which might even seem a little harsh.
Details that have since emerged from weatherman Rob Marciano's firing have detailed why the morning show let him go, but what about the other faces who said goodbye to the show in less than fortunate circumstances? Everyone remembers one of the biggest scandals to rock "Good Morning America" — when the public discovered T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach weren't just co-hosting but cohabitating. We won't forget that in a hurry; however, there have been plenty other firings over the years that have raised eyebrows.
Let's dive in and take a look at some of the most interesting cases of shock firings from one of America's biggest and iconic news shows.
Joy Behar
Daytime TV fans might know Joy Behar as a staple on "The View," but that's not where she started. Just like anyone starting out in the business, Behar had to cut her teeth somewhere. In recent years, Behar has mentioned her relationship with ABC News on more than one occasion. Unlike Robin Roberts and Lara Spencer, Behar never made it to the "Good Morning America" screen, but she did work as a receptionist at "GMA" during the 1980s.
In a 2022 segment on "The View," Behar was chatting to actor Kumail Nanjiani, who was promoting "Welcome to Chippendales," when she told the story of her time at the morning show. "I'd like to say that when I was fired from 'Good Morning America' years ago — I was the worst receptionist they've ever had — and, this is a true story, I was fired, they took me to Chippendales as my goodbye present ... so, anyway I'm familiar with Chippendales" (via New York Post).
In 2024, she referenced the incident again when it was brought up by Whoopi Goldberg. Behar proudly declaring that she was fired not just once but twice. Although Behar doesn't seem to hold any resentment against her former employers, it's interesting to think that she may have worked her way up as a "GMA" host she not been so terrible at filing!
Joan Lunden and Charlie Gibson
This one is a blast from the past. If you grew up in the '90s, chances are you'll remember Joan Lunden. Alongside her co-host Charlie Gibson, Lunden was the force behind what made "Good Morning America" so successful. Sadly, as we know, not all working relationships end on a good note. Despite many triumphant years, ratings dropped in 1997 and fans were saddened to see her leave the show. Lisa McRee stepped in to fill her shoes. At the time, it seemed to be a mutual decision, with Lunden telling the press that she was leaving to focus on her family life.
We may have all believed it at the time, but the truth was a little different. Lunden later admitted on "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" that she was effectively fired for being too old. "The words are, 'We've decided to make a change on the show,' and so they found a 30-year-old version of me," she explained.Lunden was 46 at the time she was let go — and she was quick to point out that Gibson was wronged, too. "They replaced both of us with kind of, you know, a 30-year-old version of each of us, and it didn't work," she said. It was a sad ending to an otherwise fruitful partnership.
Kevin Newman
If you don't remember Kevin Newman, don't feel bad. His stint on the show was fleeting, to say the least. Newman was part of the new posse brought in to replace Joan Lunden and Charlie Gibson. He co-hosted alongside Lisa McRee for a handful of months before he moved on. Newman hasn't shied away from being vocal about his poor experience at ABC News, writing about his former job in 2010. Though the original article has since been deleted, a HuffPost report on the article still exists.
"It took me years to repair what nine months as GMA's male co-host did to my confidence and career," Newman wrote. He went on to explain that despite having little on-screen chemistry with his co-host, he was offered the position over the phone. Despite his better judgement, he took it — only to be told he was being replaced nine months later by reinstated host Charlie Gibson, and legendary TV icon Diane Sawyer.
"When GMA celebrated its 35th anniversary last year, Lisa and I were nowhere to be found in its official history. We never happened," Newman continued. He also issued a not-so-subtle jab at the network. "More than a decade later, 'Good Morning America' still trails 'The Today Show' and another new anchor team is struggling to find its footing," he wrote.
Amy Robach
There was a time when Amy Robach could do no wrong. The blue-eyed, fresh-faced host of "Good Morning America" started her tenure at ABC News back in 2012, bringing with her a ton of prior experience from NBC News. She seemed like the perfect fit for "GMA." Viewers liked her. She was comfortable in front of the camera. But despite holding her own for years, things got very dicey in 2022 when it was revealed that she was in a relationship with her co-host, T.J. Holmes. At the time the news broke, neither Holmes nor Robach had announced they were separating from their respective spouses.
Scandal and "GMA" don't really work well together, with the network seemingly keen to promote a squeaky-clean image. As a result of the relationship coming to light, Robach was suspended from her show, "GMA3" alongside her newfound love, Holmes.
According to an ABC source who spoke to IndieWire, staff were told the news on a conference call. ABC News president reportedly said, "These decisions are not easy, they are not knee jerk, but they are necessary for the brand and for our priority which, you guys know, are all of us — the people here at ABC." After some deliberation, Robach was given her marching orders, though it's thought that she got a semi-decent payout as a result of her contract ending early.
T.J. Holmes
He's handsome. He's debonair. He was a family man who had amazing chemistry with his co-host. What could possibly go wrong? T.J. Holmes was just as experienced in the TV world as Amy Robach when he signed up with ABC News in 2014, having worked for CNN, MSNBC, and BET. By the time he joined Robach for "GMA3" he was one of the most-liked TV hosts on American television ... until he wasn't. Amy Robach faced major consequences because of her affair with T.J. Holmes, but that isn't to say he got off lightly. Just like Robach, Holmes lost his lucrative job because he fell in love with the woman he worked with while he was already married.
Perhaps most interestingly, ABC News admitted that the pair's extra-curricular activities didn't actually break any company policy, according to Variety – it was simply bad for the brand. Holmes exited with as much grace as possible and has been attempting to rebuild his career since. On his joint podcast with Robach, Holmes said of the situation, "We knew we would not be going back to that network ... you can't come back from that."
Holmes maintained that the pair weren't caught out in a lie, though the world thought they were. "We failed at being good crisis managers," he said. "We failed at ... understanding some level of celebrity that neither one of us thought we had."
Rob Marciano
It's not unusual for viewers to see new faces appearing on "Good Morning America" as some stars move on to other opportunities. In 2014, Rob Marciano was the new kid on the block as he took over for Ginger Zee, the weekend meteorologist, when she was promoted. Though Marciano certainly had the on-air experience and the handsome face it usually takes to make it on the show, it wasn't exactly a stress-free job for him. Reports suggest that he clashed with Zee consistently over the years, but that isn't all.
In March 2022, Marciano was pulled from the show after an incident with a female colleague got him banned from the "GMA" studio, according to Page Six. Though he wasn't fired at the time and reappeared on another ABC show, "World News Tonight", he did eventually get officially canned from the breakfast series and the network altogether in May 2024.
The details around his departure remain slightly sketchy, though a source told Page Six in 2023, ""He was found to have done something ... that was improper, but he was punished for it, and they still haven't let him return." Whatever he did got him an initial one-month suspension, but he was never allowed back on the air at "Good Morning America." Another source told the publication it was partly down to Marciano's anger issues that became more pronounced as he dealt with a divorce: "He made people feel uncomfortable. There was a period where there were some issues, a number of alarming events." The publication claimed that executive producer Simone Swink was largely against Marciano returning to the set, which may have contributed to his axing.