The Good Morning America family and its fans are saying goodbye to one of their longtime favorites: Dr. Jennifer Ashton.
Following her announcement in April that she would be leaving ABC after 13 years with the network, the chief health and medical editor and chief medical correspondent officially bid farewell to her post as GMA3: What You Need To Know co-anchor on Thursday, June 27.
The year and a half leading up to her departure was a tricky one, as in November 2022, she lost not one but both of her co-anchors, when Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes parted ways with ABC following news of their relationship, and it wasn’t until six months later and a revolving door of temporary hosts that Eva Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan were confirmed as her new co-anchors.
Ahead of her emotional last day, Dr. Jennifer, 55, appeared on The View on Tuesday, and opened up about what she’s most looking forward to about her “next chapter.”
Asked by host Sara Haines how she’s feeling, the ABC mainstay joked: “Tired!” before sharing: “You know, I’m excited about the next stage, I’m really focusing on what I’m board-certified in, which is women’s health and obesity medicine and nutrition.”
She further reflected: “I’ve been here 13 plus years,” revealing that last year alone she was on the air a whopping 805 times, and that she’s “looking forward to sleeping past four or five in the morning a little bit.”
© GettyOnce she gets her well-deserved break however, she’s eager to continue working, particularly on her new platform Ajenda, a free weekly newsletter that will highlight her breadth of knowledge on all things health.
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Jennifer maintained she’s “looking forward to the next chapter and really focusing on the areas I’m board-certified in, so I’m excited.”
© InstagramSeveral of The View co-hosts noted that they are already “obsessed” with the content that she shares on her Instagram, and Sara emphasized just how much she trusts and is impressed by Jennifer.
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© Getty“You break things down to a level where everyone gets it, you’re like a walking sound byte,” she said, adding: “You share so much and we’ve had you on a slew of topics, a slew of shows.”
© InstagramShe maintained that each and every time she’s left amazed, thanking her for “bringing that to all of us,” and noting that they don’t plan to stop calling her over to the show.
Outside of her professional life, Jennifer is gearing up to celebrate her second wedding anniversary with producer and sports executive Tim Werner, 74, who she married in November of 2022. She was previously married to late thoracic surgeon Robert C. Ashton, from 1996 until 2017; the fellow doctor, with whom she shared kids Alex, 25, and Chloe, 22, died by suicide shortly after their divorce was finalized.
