When Good Morning America fans first saw intimate pictures of Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, with the knowledge that the GMA3 co-stars were both married to other people, no one could quite believe their eyes.
Their show was put on hiatus while ABC bosses investigated their relationship, and it wasn't long before it was announced they wouldn't be returning.
Still, Amy and T.J. have defied expectations by divorcing their respective partners and putting on a united front as a couple, even sharing an insight into their relationship on their podcast, Amy and T.J.
But how did it all happen? Here's everything you need to know - from the very beginning.
September 2020 - T.J. joins GMA3
T.J. Holmes became Amy Robach's co-host in 2020 on GMA3: What You Need to Know, the afternoon spinoff from Good Morning America.
© Paula LoboAlready, T.J. had made a name for himself as a CNN news anchor throughout the 2000s before moving over to ABC in 2014, where he eventually became a permanent co-anchor on World News Now, substituting on Good Morning America as needed.
Amy was already a Good Morning America staple, contributing to Good Morning American from 2012 to 2020 when she hosted Pandemic: What You Need To Know, a show created in response to COVID-19. The show transitioned into GMA3 in September 2020, when T.J. joined the show.
October 2020 - Amy and T.J. start running together
Amy and T.J. both love running - this much has become apparent to longtime followers of the duo. It seems that running became a bonding activity for the duo, as T.J joined her and friend Nikki for a run.
She wrote: "Final training run for @nycmarathon and we roped in @officialtjholmes to finish strong with us on this eerie but beautiful October day! I will say he motivated us to run at our fastest pace yet but I’m not sure how great he felt at the end".
It seemed relatively early on Amy and T.J. started spending time together outside of work hours, showing that they developed a strong connection even before they started dating.
© @ajrobachNovember 2020 - Amy ribs her co-host for not following her on Instagram
While Amy and T.J. may have worked together and become running partners, that didn't mean the 46-year-old anchor followed the 51-year-old on Instagram.
Amy took to Instagram to tease T.J. for his lack of sleep and the fact he doesn't follow her on Instagram, calling working with him "a blast everyday of the week".
"What you need to know is that @officialtjholmes once again did not get enough sleep... and since he doesn’t follow me he’ll never know I called him out on Instagram", she said.
"All jokes aside, I must say shooting @abcgma3 with him and @drjashton is a blast everyday of the week... however it is SLIGHTLY more enjoyable when TJ gets 7 hours of sleep #moresleepfortj".
April 2021 - T.J. returns to GMA3 and Amy gushes about it on social media
After a short absence from GMA3, Amy welcomed T.J. back onto the show with a sweet post on Instagram about their friendship.
She wrote: "Behind the scenes excitement! @officialtjholmes is back and with a rare 8 hours of sleep - get ready for @abcgma3".
July 2021 - The duo express they'll miss each other as Amy goes to Tokyo
As Amy headed off to Tokyo, she was sure to share that she'd miss her co-host T.J. before going - and he told her back.
"So turns out I am gonna miss this one…", she wrote on an Instagram photo of herself hugging T.J.
He similarly posted a tribute to his co-host, sharing: "That’s genuine shock on my face. The nonhugger-in-chief is on her way to Tokyo this weekend to cover the Olympics. Today was our final show together in studio for a while."
He added: "We give each other all kinds of hell and talk all kinds of trash, but the truth is, Robes is the key and centerpiece to our show and I HATE when she’s gone. (It doubles my workload)".
December 2021- Regular running partners
After over a year of working together, T.J. would join Amy on her runs regularly along with friend Nikki. The duo would regularly share funny moments from their runs together.
In December, Amy was sure to share T.J.'s "quote of the day" as he called them "the least intimidating gang in all of NY".
June 2022 - The duo cover the Platinum Jubilee together
Amy and T.J. crossed the pond for a London adventure as they covered the Platinum Jubilee together.
© @ajrobachIt seemed the duo had an absolute blast together, with Amy taking to Instagram to discuss the "joy and honor to witness the celebrations here in London for Queen Elizabeth II".
She obviously was sure to mention that she "couldn't have asked for a better partner through it all".
November 2022 - Their relationship is revealed
Mere weeks after Amy and T.J. ran the New York Marathon together, the Daily Mail broke news that they were romantically involved, sharing pictures of the couple looking close as they ran errands around the city throughout the month.
The revelation caused controversy as both Amy and T.J. were married respectively to Andrew Schue and Marilee Fiebig, with families.
© Roy RochlinDecember 2022 - Appearances on hiatus as ABC investigate
Not long after the story broke, Amy and T.J.'s appearance on GMA3 was put on hiatus as ABC investigated their relationship.
While the pair remained "off-air pending the completion of an internal review", a rotation of anchors filled in on the program.
January 2023 - GMA3 co-hosts are fired
Following the investigation into their relationship, Amy and T.J. parted ways with ABC.
The network released the following statement: "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."
"We recognize their talent and commitment over the years and are thankful for their contributions."
August 2023 - The end of a social media hiatus
Amy and T.J. both share their first Instagram posts since they were let go from GMA3. It seemed that they continued to run together, getting ready for another New York Marathon.
November 2023 - Amy and T.J. podcast
Finally, the couple went Instagram official with the announcement of their podcast - a year after the news of their relationship first broke.
The podcast promised to set the record straight, as they wrote: "How's this for instagram official? #silentnomore".
December 2023 - The couple set the record straight
Their first podcast episode was highly anticipated, and certainly didn't disappoint. The couple clarified that by the time their relationship had been outed, both were in divorce proceedings.
"The day the pictures were released that outed us, we were both in divorce proceedings," T.J. stated, with Amy revealing that she and her ex-husband had been living apart since August.
They reported that the public nature of the revelation had been "most difficult" for their children, who were still dealing with the fallout of the divorce.
© Astrida ValigorskyBut there was no doubt that the couple was happy as T.J. said: "I am in love with this woman and she is in love with me, and we are planning a future together."
Amy added that "through a year of hell," it's "the most beautiful relationship I've ever had in my life."
"I'm the healthiest and happiest I've ever been in my life," TJ stated.
December 2023 - Their exes start dating
Reports flooded in that Andrew Schue and Marilee Fiebig had bonded through their divorce proceedings and were now dating.
February 2024 - Couple hint at marriage
T.J. put Amy in the hotseat for a Q&A on their podcast, saving the best question for last: "Where do you want your third wedding to be?"
The couple have been teasing that they may be engaged for a while, but Amy couldn't help but joke: "Justice of the peace. Vegas."
She then added: "I really would want it to be a very intimate gathering."
"I would absolutely run off an envelope somewhere. I think that's probably if I had to pick, I'd pick eloping, and going to Fiji or somewhere really nice and far away."
