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Amy Robach, TJ Holmes, Dr. Jennifer Ashton pose together at the Oscars

GMA's most famous anchors who've left the show: Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes — and one renowned late night host

The ABC News morning TV show is currently helmed by Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Michael Strahan

Ahad Sanwari
Ahad Sanwari - New York
Senior WriterNew York
1 day ago
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Good Morning America has been on the air since November 1975, and in its nearly five-decade run has seen a host of leading journalists command the helm of the morning news show.

Currently, the main 7 AM-9 AM slot is heralded by longtime anchors Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, plus NFL legend Michael Strahan, who joined in 2016.

However, over the years, several notable names have walked down ABC News studios' hallowed halls, having led partnerships on the show that have spanned years.

Take a look below at some of the most prominent hosts in GMA who've left the show behind, for one reason or another, from recently reunited vets, to a late night host you might be familiar with…

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Charles Gibson during The Dixie Chicks Perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" Summer Concert Series - May 26, 2006 at Bryant Park in New York City, New York, United States.© Getty Images

Charlie Gibson

Charlie Gibson, now 81, is a prominent name in the broadcast news industry, and spent a majority of his on-screen tenure with ABC News, joining in 1975 and staying till his retirement in 2009.

LATEST: GMA's Robin Roberts bids heartfelt goodbye following 'magical' opportunity

He joined as a field correspondent before being promoted to host of GMA, staying in that position from 1987-1998, and once again from 1999-2006 with Diane Sawyer. It was during his initial run, though, that the show became the most-watched morning show on American TV, and he achieved that with…

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Joan Lunden attends "Good Morning America's" 40th Anniversary at GMA Studios on November 19, 2015 in New York City.© Getty Images

Joan Lunden

Joan Lunden, now 73, began her career with ABC News in 1975 as well, being promoted to host of GMA in 1980, a position she maintained till 1997 during which she interviewed several Presidents, covered five Olympics, and two royal weddings.

Recently, Joan and Charlie reunited in surprising fashion — the pair made their theater in Falmouth, Massachusetts over the weekend to perform the play Love Letters for charity. Joan returned to TV in 2014 as a special correspondent for competitor NBC's Today.

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Diane Sawyer sits on the set of "World News With Diane Sawyer" during the nationally televised news brief at the Walt Disney Television via Getty Images News headquarters December 21, 2009 in New York City. Sawyer will make her debut as the anchor on the network's news broadcast tonight.© Getty Images

Diane Sawyer

During his second stint as anchor, Charlie hosted alongside Diane Sawyer, now 78. After a few years working with the Nixon administration, Diane began her career with CBS News before moving to ABC in 1989.

TRENDING: GMA's Michael Strahan's retirement from TV in his own words — what he said about future plans

One of the most high-profile women in broadcast journalism, Diane helped usher in a new age for GMA as a co-anchor from 1999-2009, also hosting World News Tonight, 20/20, and Primetime at different points of time. Since stepping away from World News Tonight in 2014, she has remained with the network, working on specials and conducting major interviews.

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GMA co-anchors Stephen Colbert and George Stephanopoulos host ABC's "Good Morning America" at ABC Studios on October 2, 2012 in New York City.© Getty Images

Stephen Colbert

You might be surprised to learn that in the late '90s, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert host, now 60, was once a correspondent for GMA. Well, technically speaking, at least.

While still developing his footing with comedy, and freelancing with the likes of Saturday Night Live, he filmed several humorous correspondent segments for GMA. However, only two of them were ever produced, and only one was aired. Stephen soon got his break, however, with The Daily Show and Strangers with Candy.

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GMA star Amy Robach smiling© Arturo Holmes

Amy Robach

Amy Robach, now 51, made a name for herself as a top-notch journalist for nearly a decade with NBC News before joining ABC in 2012, serving as a fill-in host and contributor. In March 2020, she started co-hosting Pandemic: What You Need to Know, which eventually became GMA3: What You Need to Know.

READ: Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes call out former GMA peers for 'fake' support following romance revelation

In 2018, she also began co-hosting 20/20 with David Muir. However, in January 2023, she was officially let go from the network after over a decade of work when it was revealed that she had begun a relationship with one of her co-hosts

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NEWS - ABC News presented a prime-time special to commemorate Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the end of slavery in America, and examine its symbolism among the Black community and around the nation. Led by a team of ABC News anchors and correspondents including "ABC News Live Prime" anchor Linsey Davis,  "Nightline" co-anchor Byron Pitts, correspondents Deborah Roberts, TJ Holmes, Steve Osunsami and Janai Norman, and "The View" moderator Whoopi Goldberg, the one-hour special will feature reporting from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Galveston, Texas, and other cities across the country observing the day. "Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming" airs Friday, June 19 on ABC. TJ HOLMES© Getty Images

T.J. Holmes

T.J. Holmes, 46, had worked extensively with CNN, BET Networks, and MSNBC before joining ABC as a freelance anchor in 2014, being made the permanent host of World News Now later that year. In September 2020, he became co-anchor of GMA3 with Amy.

After their relationship came to light in December 2022, the couple were controversially terminated. In the time since, they've remained together and now host the podcast Amy & T.J. for the iHeart network.

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GOOD MORNING AMERICA - Dr. Jennifer Ashton appears on "Good Morning America," 11/9/12, airing on the ABc Television Network. DR. JENNIFER ASHTON© Getty Images

Dr. Jennifer Ashton

The latest of GMA's anchors to depart the network is Dr. Jennifer Ashton, now 55, who marked her final day with GMA3 on June 27, 2024. She began her stint with ABC News in 2012 and was promoted to their senior medical contributor.

READ: Dr. Jennifer Ashton confesses she's 'looking forward' to life after GMA

After being promoted to co-host of GMA3 in 2020, the renowned physician was named the network's chief medical correspondent and chief health and medical editor, frequently also making appearances on the main GMA and other ABC News shows. She left to focus on her own company, named Ajenda.

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