The 'Good Morning America' co-anchor says her leave will likely start at the end of August or early September, with Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric set to guest host during her absence.
- Jul 27, 2012
AceShowbiz - Robin Roberts (II) plans to take a medical leave from "Good Morning America" to undergo a bone marrow transplant. The breast cancer survivor announced this during ABC's panel at the Television Critics Association conference on Thursday, July 26 in Beverly Hills, California.
Speaking to reporters via satellite from ABC's studios in New York, Roberts, who has co-anchored the morning show since 2005, said her leave would most likely take place at the end of August or early September. "It's fascinating-slash-scary how to prepare yourself for something like this. I do go through moments of fatigue," she shared about her feelings.
The 51-year-old went on revealing that her "wonderful, wonderful friends at ABC News" namely Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric would accompany co-anchor George Stephanopoulos during her absence. Kelly Ripa and "The View" co-hosts were also mentioned as those who will temporarily substitute for her.
Roberts was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) earlier this year. It's a rare blood and bone-marrow disease which was a complication from her treatment for breast cancer. She started pre-treatment with chemotherapy in June before undergoing the bone marrow transplant, in which her sister will be the donor.
Also during the panel at TCA, ABC News President Ben Sherwood apologized for reporter Brian Ross' statement during the coverage of the mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado. At that time, Ross speculated that James Holmes, who is a suspect in the case, might be linked to the tea party.
"It was a mistake. We recognized it immediately. We owned it immediately. We corrected it immediately. We apologized for it," Sherwood said. He added, "That particular moment didn't live up to the standards and practices of ABC News. I take responsibility for it. The news division knows how displeased I am about it. And we will do everything we can to prevent it ever happening again."
