Good Morning America Stars Who Have Dealt With Health Issues

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ABC News staple "Good Morning America" is one of the longest-running and most popular programs in the United States, covering breaking news, financial tips, medical updates, entertainment, weather forecasts, cutting-edge technology, shopping deals, and other current and evergreen topics. Since its launch in 1975, it has earned several prestigious accolades over the years, including six Daytime Emmys for outstanding morning program. 

This enduring success is largely due to a talented team of anchors, journalists, meteorologists, and regular contributors. While these TV personalities are fully dedicated to their craft and have become beloved household names, some of them have occasionally taken a step back to prioritize their health. They've had to deal with limb surgeries, pregnancy losses, and cancer diagnoses, but also debilitating chronic autoimmune diseases, depression, and anxiety. Whether they've shared these concerns with their fans on social media or on the show itself, their openness is truly inspirational.

At the time of publishing, "Good Morning America" is primarily anchored by Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Michael Strahan, featuring Ginger Zee as chief meteorologist as well as other contributors like Lara Spencer and Sam Champion. Former hosts, such as Joan Lunden, Diane Sawyer, T.J. Holmes, and Amy Robach, also remain linked to the show. Let's highlight some of these key figures, past and present, and their battles with physical and mental health issues.

Even though she was considered instrumental to the program's success, Joan Lunden was fired from "Good Morning America" in 1997 after a nearly two-decade tenure. While she first stated that she voluntarily left in order to focus on her family, she later revealed that the executives let her go because they wanted to make room for a fresher, much younger face. Still, this cherished journalist, author, and actor occasionally makes appearances on the morning show, discussing her latest book release or addressing life-threatening diseases like cancer.

In June 2014, Lunden was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer and then had to endure chemotherapy, a lumpectomy, and radiation sessions. During this harrowing period, she became a fervent speaker about this disease, working from home and sharing her progress and challenges on her website, her social media accounts, and TV interviews. Additionally, she has addressed the guilt associated with turning from a primary caregiver to a patient and becoming the focus of her large family's attention. "I have seven kids and I've taken care of my mom, who had dementia, and my brother, who was ill as an adult," she shared with "Today" in December 2014. "But I've never been put into a position where I have to accept the care myself. This is the first time ever, and it's really hard."

Award winner Sam Champion is one of "Good Morning America" and WABC-TV's most prominent meteorologists and weather anchors. Beyond his professional accomplishments, he has experienced several health scares, including dealing with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) for many years and undergoing an emergency heart procedure. Champion has been battling skin cancer since the age of 26, so he's been closely monitoring his body for warning signs and has had affected cells removed on multiple occasions. 

In October 2024, for instance, he underwent Mohs micrographic surgery under his left eye. This state-of-the-art, minimally invasive technique for treating cancerous cells is done gradually and leaves little scarring. "We have to keep our eye on our skin, our hands on our skin, be very vigilant and notice any unusual spots, and if those spots start to change, immediately get care," he stated on "Good Morning America" at the time. The anchor has also used his social media accounts and TV appearances to urge his followers to wear sunscreen and get regular checkups. Indeed, nearly 3.6 million cases of BCC are detected in the U.S. annually, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Fast-forward to March 2026, when Champion took a nuclear stress test that revealed he was at risk for a heart attack. Following this frightening diagnosis, he underwent a procedure at Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital's cardiac catheterization lab and received an outpouring of encouragement from fans and colleagues alike.

Journalist, author, and podcast host Amy Robach has endured various tragedies and backlashes over the years, including the loss of her uncle during a Fourth of July celebration when she was a teenager and a scandalous affair with "Good Morning America" co-anchor T.J. Holmes. Though she was fired from ABC News in 2023 because of that off-camera romance, she remains synonymous with the show because of her decade-long tenure. Not to mention that one of her most memorable TV moments was when she underwent a live, on-air mammogram back in 2013. 

Though she had originally declined to get tested because she didn't think she was at risk, the eventual decision to get a mammogram saved her life because it revealed she had stage 2 breast cancer. Following that unexpected diagnosis, she underwent a bilateral mastectomy as well as chemo treatments.

The reason Robach was so hesitant to get a mammogram was that she had no family history of the disease. Plus, as she explained to Jennie Garth on an episode of "I Choose Me" podcast, the recommended age for a screening at the time was 50, and she had only just turned 40. Ultimately, that terrifying experience has left her with enduring anxiety. "I had a year of hell of surgeries and chemo and uncertainty, and then all the years that follow, you know, you're always worried about remission," she revealed to the actor.

The stunning Ginger Zee has been the chief meteorologist and weather anchor on "Good Morning America" since December 2013 — a key position she was appointed to just two years after joining the show. She is married to Ben Aaron, an Emmy Award-winning journalist with whom she shares two sons. Aaron has played a key role in helping her manage her mental health struggles, which she revealed in her aptly named 2017 autobiography, "Natural Disaster: I Cover Them. I am One."

When she turned 21, Zee was diagnosed with depression after battling anorexia and narcolepsy. Since then, the TV personality has learned to manage her pain while putting on a cheerful expression for the camera. On an October 2022 episode of the show, she said of a photo taken shortly after a second suicide attempt, "That picture says to me, 'Here's a person who is trying so hard to hide what she was truly feeling. It was one of my darkest points in all of my mental health journey, and my smile is so forced and is so big." That month, she also told her Instagram followers that she had been struggling with borderline personality disorder. "[A]ccepting my story was the first step. There is no final step. But these steps don't have to be taken alone," she wrote. "If you are lucky enough to get a diagnosis, go at it like you would cancer — fight with everything you've got."

Before "Good Morning America," Robin Roberts was a sports reporter. Today, beyond her lavish lifestyle and long-standing role as one of the show's main anchors lies a reality plagued by health scares. In 2007, following a checkup, she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer and successfully pulled through with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. "[Y]ou will probably notice that I will have my good days and my bad days, but I know I will get through it with the love and support of my family and friends," she shared on the show at the time. "Diane [Sawyer], Sam [Champion], Chris [Cuomo], and all of the folks behind the scenes who make this program come to life each and every morning have been so supportive and loving at this challenging time." Since then, Roberts has often used her position and platform to raise awareness of this disease and advocate for early detection.

Then, in 2012, the TV personality revealed she was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder that can trigger other health issues, such as infections, anemia, and leukemia. According to LIV Hospital, which has praised Roberts' openness, her MDS may be linked to her aggressive cancer treatments. After considering options like immunosuppressive therapy and hypomethylating agents, she eventually opted for a bone marrow transplant from her sister, Sally-Ann Roberts. Since then, her consistent coverage of blood stem cell transplants has prompted thousands to join the National Marrow Donor Program.

Author, producer, writer, actor, and anchor Lara Spencer has been a household name at ABC News since 1995, when she first joined as a national correspondent. In addition to her prominent work on "Good Morning America," she also appeared on four episodes of HGTV's award-winning show "Flea Market Flip" as well as 28 episodes of PBS' "Antiques Roadshow U.S." Apart from her career milestones, Spencer has also faced multiple health challenges.

On August 13, 2016, at age 47, Spencer underwent a full right hip replacement to treat her dysplasia. Initially, the avid tennis player and runner found it difficult to accept this genetic condition, which is characterized by a shallow hip socket. "It was so upsetting," she revealed on the show a few days earlier. "I waited for a long time before I did anything about it or told anyone because it sounds like it's an old person's problem and I just couldn't believe it." The following month, she updated her concerned colleagues about her post-surgery care in a live phone call, stressing the importance of rehabilitation exercises.

Nevertheless, that wasn't the end of Spencer's health troubles. On December 12, 2024, she shared on Instagram that she underwent surgery on both feet. "My right foot was easy — just had plate removed from surgery last year. The left is a bigger deal from a very old college diving injury," she wrote before expressing her gratitude that her chronic pain was finally gone.

After providing her medical expertise on "Good Morning America" and other ABC shows, Dr. Jennifer Ashton ended her 13-year tenure in April 2024 to launch her women's wellness business, Ajenda. Less than two years before she left, she admitted that she had been living with unbearable chronic pain in her sacroiliac joint and seeking chiropractic care. "If you have ever had acute low-back pain, you know how unpleasant it is," she wrote on Instagram on August 12, 2022. In another post, she shared some of her favorite exercises for managing the symptoms, revealing that her suffering was triggered by a weak back as well as "over-trained/compensatory anterior hip flexors which constantly pulled [her] SI joint forward causing daily pain and yearly spasm."

Dr. Ashton has also experienced significant hair breakage and loss, largely due to contracting COVID-19 in January 2022 (and that's after she was vaccinated and boosted). For a while, she resorted to concealing her condition with clip-in ponytails, hats, and headscarves, advising viewers to cut down on hair products containing alcohol. Unfortunately, she is still dealing with hair thinning, which she not only blames on the virus but also on menopause, highlighting damage, and diet changes.

Miscarriages are a common occurrence, and despite access to the best care, fame and wealth don't always protect celebrities from this painful experience. Some stars have been more open about pregnancy loss than others, including Paula Faris, who, sadly, has been through this ordeal three times. Though she left her roles as co-host of "The View" and co-anchor of "GMA Weekend" in 2018, she has publicly addressed the issue on multiple occasions.

In her 2020 release, "Called Out: Why I Traded Two Dream Jobs for a Life of True Calling," the journalist shared that she suffered a miscarriage in 2017 as she was interviewing former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. A day earlier, at her ultrasound, she was informed that her nine-week fetus had no heartbeat. "I put on my most professional face and walked into the interview with Spicer, not knowing if my baby was still alive," she recalled in the book, before admitting to People in April 2020, "If there's a crisis or something tragic that happens in my life, my coping mechanism has always been going back to work, which isn't always a good thing."

Linsey Davis is a high-profile, Emmy Award-winning correspondent for ABC News and a substitute anchor on "Good Morning America." Known for her composed, dedicated, and private nature, she stunned viewers by revealing her longtime struggle with uterine fibroids. According to the National Library of Medicine, this condition's symptoms include pain during intercourse, irregular menstrual cycles, frequent urination, and significant bloating and cramping — all of which could severely impact a woman's personal, social, and professional lives.

Apart from the discomfort and suffering, Davis found it particularly embarrassing when others mistakenly assumed she was pregnant. So, after years of dealing with this issue, she decided to undergo a hysterectomy in August 2025. "It causes me enough angst and grief, and, you know, planning my day differently, accordingly, that I really feel like I'm ready to be finished with this journey," she said on "ABC News Live Prime With Linsey Davis" back then.

In December 2025, after serving about 17 years as a chief national correspondent for various ABC News shows like "Good Morning America," "World News Tonight With David Muir," and "Nightline," Matt Gutman moved on to CBS News. Over the years, his rewarding but stressful job has taken him all over the U.S. and beyond. While he has covered many joyful stories, he has also reported on dangerous conflict zones, natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and various protests, which have profoundly impacted his mental health. As a result, he has frequently endured bouts of anxiety and panic attacks, especially on the field.

In an essay published in Time on September 12, 2023, he recalled, "My own first brush with panic took place as I was defending my senior thesis in college. For years afterward, as my career in radio and TV progressed, I suffered what I thought of as 'nerves' during my live reports. It would be 13 years before I would put a name to those bouts, recognizing them as the classic symptoms of panic disorder." Gutman also released a memoir that same month, titled "No Time to Panic: How I Curbed My Anxiety and Conquered a Lifetime of Panic Attacks." The book chronicles some of his most devastating episodes and provides insight into the various therapies he has tried.

"Dancing With the Stars" judge and "Good Morning America" entertainment contributor Carrie Ann Inaba has openly discussed dealing with four chronic diseases: fibromyalgia, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren's syndrome. These conditions often present with a wide array of symptoms — some more debilitating and visible than others — such as dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, jaw and chest pain, swollen joints, brain fog, and memory loss. 

As such, Inaba has frequently discussed her flare-ups on television, not to mention becoming an awareness ambassador for the Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation. "Coping with autoimmune conditions can sometimes feel quite lonely," she shared on her blog, Carrie Ann Conversations, on February 3, 2021. "When I first got diagnosed, some encouraged me to keep my struggles to myself, but I've found that it's always been better to be honest about my needs and realities than to stay silent."

As if all these conditions weren't enough, the bubbly TV personality also has markers for antiphospholipid syndrome, which can trigger blood clots. Her extremely complex medical history, which also includes iron deficiency anemia and spinal stenosis, has prompted her to pay closer attention to her body's signals and prevent potential flare-ups by adjusting her diet, practicing yoga, and limiting sun exposure.