Good Morning America Weekend will look a little different soon. ABC let Janai Norman go in April after four years at GMA. Overall, she had worked at ABC News for over a decade, starting as an intern in 2011. The network finally announced her replacement for the weekend news program. Keep reading for all the details.
GMA Announces Fired Anchor Janai Norman’s Replacement
Janai Norman wasn’t technically fired for any wrongdoing. ABC didn’t renew her contract, leading to an abrupt departure from the morning program. She began appearing on GMA in 2019 as the host of “Pop News.” She transitioned to co-anchor of the news program’s weekend edition. The journalist stayed in that position for years.
Janai Norman announced in early April that her contract with ABC hadn’t been renewed and she was done with GMA. Whit Johnson and Gio Benitez remained as co-hosts after her sudden exit. But now, the morning news program is getting another shakeup.
According to The U.S. Sun, two familiar faces are joining GMA Weekend. Rachel Scott joins Whit Johnson to co-anchor Saturdays. Gio Benitez is moving to Sundays alongside Rhiannon Ally. Leslie Lopez will serve as the weekend meteorologist for both days. Viewers will see the changes starting on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
Her Comments On Sudden Exit
Janai Norman wasn’t fired. But it wasn’t her choice to leave. She revealed the shocking news on social media after her final air date. She was heartbroken that she didn’t get to say a proper goodbye to viewers. “I’d hoped that we’d have more time. It’s been hard on me that our time was cut short. I have loved my job,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.
“So, it really breaks my heart that I don’t get to say goodbye. I’m so sorry that I don’t get to say goodbye. It would have been fun,” she added.
Janai Norman was devastated that after 15 years with ABC, she didn’t get a televised farewell or anything. It was an adjustment period but in a recent update, the former GMA anchor reveled in her freedom. “Still getting used to being able to pop out wherever, whenever I want. Freedom feels d**n good, y’all,” she said.
![Janai Norman [GMA | YouTube]](https://b4149563.assetcdn.net/2.0/4149563/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Janai-Norman-GMA-Journey.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)
The Good Morning America Weekend anchor has a book coming out that might include more details about her shocking exit. Breaking: News, Barriers, and Stigmas – A Memoir of Choosing Myself hits bookshelves in early 2027. The memoir covers Janai Norman’s broadcasting career while battling borderline personality disorder and raising three kids.
Tell us in the comments if you miss Janai Norman on GMA Weekend or is the show better without her.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger