The hosting situation at GMA3: What You Need to Know has been in flux since former hosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes were revealed to be involved in a romantic relationship. Not only did their alleged affair draw attention to the co-anchors, but the situation became an “internal and external distraction” for all of the ABC News employees, and even two months after Robach and Holmes signed their exit agreements, questions surrounding Good Morning America’s third hour remain. When asked about the show recently, long-time ABC employee and GMA host George Stephanopoulos gave a positive response.
One big question that remains since T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach were pulled from the broadcast back in December is who will replace them permanently on the show. Several different anchors have appeared over the past few months, but insiders have suggested that Gio Benitez and DeMarco Morgan may be the leading candidates. George Stephanopoulos could neither confirm nor deny the rumors when questioned by ET, but was sure to give his assessment on how the temporary hosts have handed the situation, saying:
They’re doing great.
The Good Morning America anchor praised the GMA3 fill-ins after ET specifically mentioned Gio Benitez and DeMarco Morgan, the latter of whom has been a rumored front-runner for a permanent position since before Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes even parted ways with the network. Sources have said that Morgan is thought to be “universally well-liked,” and ABC appreciated the way he dropped everything in the midst of the former hosts’ relationship scandal to fly to New York and fill in.
Equally as likable seems to be Gio Benitez, who sources say is being considered because he’s a familiar face to GMA fans and has been with ABC for nearly a decade. However, there’s also been positive feedback to other guest hosts, including Rhiannon Ally and Stephanie Ramos, so fans will have to wait on the official decision to come down from the ABC execs.
Hopefully George Stephanopoulos’ attitude indicates that morale has picked up, and the staff is able to resume their jobs without all the distraction — which, apart from Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, includes weather anchor Rob Marciano being banned from the studio after alleged inappropriate conduct.
ABC News employees were reportedly not happy with the attention brought to the network by the former GMA3 co-anchors, with those who had known about the affair apparently feeling like they shouldn’t have been made to keep Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes’ secret. Robach’s 20/20 co-anchor David Muir was allegedly one of many employees who disagreed with the way the couple handled the situation, and sources reported that Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos had had zero contact with them as the network removed all remaining traces of the ex-employees.
The former White House communications director certainly seemed to be looking forward with optimism for GMA3, and hopefully we’ll hear something soon regarding those hosting rumors. You can tune in to ABC for Good Morning America’s third hour each weekday, and also check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what shows are premiering soon.
