Wide World of Women

On the first anniversary of their firing from ABC News, former veteran news anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes finally mentioned how awful their lives were once the first set of pictures came out in late November 2022.

November 30 in particular was when everything changed.

T.J.--"We were pursued...We failed at being crisis managers."
Amy--"Trying to explain what was actually happening vs. we said was said...it was awful."

In the 28th minute, Amy clearly explained when they were both hosting GMA3 on December 1 and 2. In typical Amy fashion, she was determined to keep her job.

In the 31st minute, more desperate times settled in. Even with Amy's parents in town, she nearly cried in explaining what happened with T.J. when he didn't respond to texts. Even some ABC News producers failed to reach him. Bottom line, he was physically fine--but emotionally distraught as one can imagine.

Amy brought up her breast cancer diagnosis in 2013 was "the worst year, the hardest year of my life."

(Trying to fight back tears)...In what she mentioned about this year, "I didn't want to get up. I didn't want to see what new headline was going to be here (online.)
Will I work again? Will I ever be trusted again? Will people believe what really happened versus what people written happened? I felt extremely lucky we had each other."

T.J.--"Those were great jobs. It was a dream job...We lost those dream jobs."

Amy--"It's been a reset, a total reset...When it was gone, you had to figure it out."

They tried to tell their story to traditional media outlets, and they all felt that it was not a story (figures.)

In the 44th minute, Amy explained how excited she was to return to work. But then they got the call that morning (December 5) saying that they were suspended, "because they became a distraction." They did not violate company policy, they made that perfectly clear. Amy was begging to make sure to tell their colleagues hush hush, but when the next news cycle came around, it would be spreading like wildfire--and there was no way to stop it.

T.J.--"We take full responsibility...this is on us."

Amy--"I wish we were more transparent...I am so hopeful that there is a new path forward."

Overall, they showed raw emotion. And they did bring some points of laughter that we all became very familiar with in the two plus years they were co-anchoring on GMA3. They also thanked those responsible (people who don't know basically) for helping them steer away from all gossip related sites, articles, and clips on YouTube.

Paparazzi can be nasty, that's for sure. For them to become the story instead of reporting the story to a nationwide audience (heartbreaking or with a sense of humor) is totally different.

Anyways, here is the link if you want to hear the whole thing totaling nearly one hour (minus the sets of commercials):

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6MURMbzhhgNkRRd8Oybyfe?si=a4997b3259114f6a

Finally, I will be very curious to see what listeners will post with their reviews on Apple Podcasts.
Their podcasts will drop weekly.

I don't know what the comments on Apple Podcast will say but comments section on the tabloid pages will surely be as vicious and nasty as they have been since the story broke a year ago. Good on Amy and TJ for telling their side of the story but now it will bring it to the front of the gossip rags.

US Magazine had this to say online:

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/amy-and-tj-podcast-recap-amy-robach-still-apologizing-to-her-kids/

And Variety went further in their description:

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/amy-robach-tj-holmes-affair-podcast-gma-firing-1235821783/

Amidst all of the talk in coming clean, Sara Haines being cited by Amy could lead to her being fired from The View--but again, nothing has been confirmed:

https://deadline.com/2023/12/amy-robach-tj-holmes-the-view-sara-haines-fired-friendship-gma3-host-1235654190/

This piece sums it up well IMO

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... lahan.html

Rewriting romance and podcast history 101.

If there is a headline for Episode 2 besides what was highlighted, it should be "Amy and T.J. Show Raw Emotion."

They reconstructed the last two weeks and the many crazy events they witnessed, both before and after their first public appearance in nearly a year at New York City's iHeart Radio's annual Jingle Ball.

Both Amy and T.J. mentioned how grateful they are, and T.J. mentioned about how horrible gossip is in general. Plus, they mentioned their general sleep routine--with Amy still an early riser to this day, even after working in news for 25 years counting her local stops in small cities before hitting it big nationally.

The rather funny moments was when they talked about staying away from LAX, numerous times after the paparazzi went after them like wolves on a hunt. The next time around, they were ready but nobody representing the paparazzi was nowhere withing sight.

Great timing, I guess you can say.

Also, the day after the jingle ball they went to a wedding with the central theme of...get this, Yacht Rock (like the one channel you hear on Sirius XM.) T.J. barely recognized some of the songs from the 1960's to the early 1980's like Cris Cristofferson's "Sailing" and Otis Redding's, ("Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." Amy was thrilled to see many of her old NBC News colleagues, as she briefly recalled being at the Peacock for 9 years (mostly co-hosting the Weekend Today program if memory serves me correctly), this prior to her being hired by ABC News. What happened following the reception, you have to hear it to believe it.

Small disclaimer--have some Kleenex handy for the final section, because this is a tear-jerker moment :

During the final segment around the 42nd minute, Amy cried periodically after revealing that a woman she followed doing an ABC News report in 2015 a young woman named Olivia (couldn't get here last name) who was battling breast cancer. She was a professional dancer and also a poet (her book is available online). Sadly, two days after Thankgiving--she left the world at the tender age of 34. The last time they texted each other three weeks before is something every man and woman should hear and follow.

Above all, T.J. mentioned about halfway through the episode--"Pick up that phone and call that person you haven't spoken to in a while." Have a nice conversation, or if they are in the local area--take them out for a nice lunch (nice in my world means casual.)

Bottom line, it's a part of life. As long as the positives outweigh the negatives, we should be fine in the end.

For Episode 3, T.J. mentioned that there will be two podcasts this week and next (presumably because of the holidays.)

Their 'Pop The Question' segment featured iHeart staffers choosing the questions, but Amy and T.J. did not see the questions ahead of time.

A male staffer named Andy read the questions, including the obvious lead off--how did the first set of sparks fly after the red light went out at GMA3 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Amy mentioned why people are excited about Fridays and gearing up for the weekend, but they were not. When Mondays rolled around, they were excited but the rest of us was not.

Other topics they brought up was that they did not have a first date. Amy loves taking pics so she can remember what happened the weekend before, etc. "There was immediate and initial support" inside her dressing room...we have a lot of support from our former co-workers."

Amy said, "I do miss my job as an anchor...I 100 percent miss my job." T.J. remarked on how he doesn't miss the grind of chasing down stories, but he mentioned how he missed seeing the people every day behind the scenes.

From the 16th minute on (since the first 2 minutes are devoted to commercials ), the conversation gets really deep on relationships, life altering decisions, and being comfortable with your changing circumstances.
And yes, they are both happy in love with each other, just to get that out of the way.

Amy is looking for guests who are seeking information about improving their own lives--whether they are famous or not. T.J. mentioned about the "intimacy" of podcasting and how interesting podcasting is.

Amy briefly discussed in the 27th minute about being caught in that one "hot mic" and how she missed out on reporting on the Jeffrey Epstein case. It's all over YouTube for those who haven't seen her cuss filled conversation.

There were many other interesting topics that might have to take at least two listens to really understand it.

Here is the link from Spotify so you can follow along for new episodes, and I plan to be back later in the week for a brief review of Episode 4:

https://open.spotify.com/show/4ff7bMDuTWn5xLkWevWB7b?si=489386f32ab74741

Episode 4 mostly flew by in terms of pace, but there were a few highlights:

They both had press releases ready on November 30, of which T.J. mentioned both emails verbatim. But once the tabloids picked up on their budding romance, Amy said that "the days grew longer" and their chances of returning to ABC were getting dimmer by the day.

And it took this long for someone to ask about Dr. Jennifer Ashton . She was actually notified about their divorces before they attended her wedding. As we all remember, the wedding was officiated by T.J. and they took part in the NYC Marathon the next day. Talk about a whirlwind weekend.

There were also a few heavy and difficult subjects that were a bit hard to listen, but I can say that it has been very hard for their kids--in terms of processing everything. But Amy basically said that they are taking things "very slowly."

Definitely, the quote of the week when they were asked on Minute 18 about what they like the most--broadcasting or podcasting. I had no doubt in my mind on what their answer would be, as Amy was grinning from ear to ear (even though we couldn't see them thanks to YouTube only showing clips):

"Podcast is amazing! We've never got to actually just be us. (Laughs) Maybe people would prefer us in the broadcasting chair, where we were buttoned up...This is fun, I love this."

Welcome to the club .

That is, unless you are in T.J.'s place during college football season. And we all know how this past season ended up.

Bottom line, T.J. hates and despises all things Georgia, although Amy has tried to extend an olive branch to the effect of "I wouldn't mind you being a Georgia fan." T.J. then gleefully replied, "I will be a fan of any teams that plays my Arkansas Razorbacks, except when they play Georgia."

So much for that. Two more podcasts for Christmas week, should be a good listen. At, least we peeled back a few more onion layers in connecting the dots--especially with the how and why before the tabloids and paparazzi took over showing them dining at a casual restaurant and going on a bit of a run in their sweaty clothes.

Episode 5 features a very heavy topic that is a must listen.

With all of the stress of the holiday season, Amy and T.J. brought on as their first guest--their self-proclaimed "America's Favorite Therapist", Dr. Jeff Gardere:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/04SgwSKAdr3WDVMxyBbeG0?si=74199fa22aae499a

One obvious pod we all knew would start the new year is reflecting on many things that happened during the past year.

Amy and T.J. spent an episode on lessons they learned--mostly personal and some special tidbits about them, unless you ran one of those often visited threads on Reddit or followed them prior to wiping their Instagram pages, around the period when the paparazzi and gossip hounds were on them like wolves on a hunt. Just you wait until you hear what T.J. tried to do to get them on his good side (as dumb as that statement sounds.)

But the one takeaway from Amy about halfway through during Episode 6 was this:

"I learned that I never want to go back to the grind of morning television. And I learned that I don't miss the job, I miss the people."

As we all figured out once they were fired from ABC News while they were over 3,000 miles way--the Amy Robach chapter is officially closed on such an outstanding journey through two career arcs (that is unless you count her time toiling away in local markets prior to arriving at NBC News doing the Weekend Today program.)

The one thing hopefully they will be doing is maybe find time to carve out some extra hobbies like Amy's family loving to make casseroles (one recipe got many listeners attention) and her love of all things horror when she is feeling sad instead of eager or anxious like many people during many days in October.

That's my thumbnail recap. My hope is to make these posts a bit shorter in the weeks and months to come, considering how busy our lives are.

One oher thing I can share is that they finally revealed how you can find them on social media, plus where you can download this podcast--either on Spotify, Apple Music (where you could leave them a 5 star review , or wherever you get your podcasts. Enjoy.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3CZ0KWppJTgHoBJNz1JbY2?si=d62a9c247efd4b00

Episode 7 was all about their shared hobby of running.

They welcomed run streaker (who knew that was such a term akin to marathon runner?) Hellah Sidibe.

Just a small note, he has a very strong and thick African accent. Pretend that you are listening on a 20th century shortwave radio, where it feels like you have an extra set of inner ears instead of the usual ears we use every day and night. The interview was about what I expected, so listen in and enjoy.

Dating and compatibility were the central themes in Episode 8.

Michael Kay (no, not that Michael Kay who is a sports anchor at ESPN 1050 and does play-by-play for the New York Yankees) is the Head of Global Operations for one of the popular dating apps OKCupid.

Many different findings, some obvious and some very delicate topics were discussed--all because of how sensitive our society has become during the last several years. Gone are the simple 20th century dating tactics, going for a coffee, movie night, or simply having a nice dinner--at least, that's what the general media was talking about pre-Internet.

This podcast is definitely worth listening in one sitting, because the listener might miss a lot in bite size chunks.

There were some signs on November 7, 2023 about their podcast salary being significantly lower than when they were at GMA:

https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/9 ... -paycheck/

However, I only listened to a small segment of the alcohol themed podcast and I can fully understand why listenership has plummeted.

I don't know what the average length for a podcast whose names are not big name celebrities past or present, or for those topics like romance, mental health, news, business, your favorite sports team, etc.--but they are dealing with subjects that are very uncomfortable for normal people except for those who are survivors (plane crashes and breast cancer among such subjects.)

After such interesting curiosity, I wonder if this podcast will last into the early part of spring. We will see if we are wrong, but the stats prove otherwise. It does not look good.

Tuesday's episode can be summarized by them unlocking their social media after one year (mostly with positive comments), but there were two quotes that stood out.

Amy in the fourth minute:
"Expectations are absolutely a case for suffering...What I haven't done as much of in my career (is) be responsible for content, booking, ratings...(fighting back tears) I felt really disconnected from you and I'm somebody who especially when I feel the way I do...When I am sitting next to somebody who we're both working hard is completely and emotionally removed from our relationship...I felt disconnected to you."

T.J. in the 33rd minute:
"I am focused and I am mentally exhausted, and I cannot recharge."

Amy finally was relieved to spend a recent night with 3 of her daughters doing typical things together like watching movies and having dinner together, the typical mother-daughter relationship.

Basically, this podcast is a train wreck.
I wonder how long this will go on, figuring all too well that they became the story after reporting on so many stories of triumph, tragedy, and everything else in between on GMA3 and sometimes on their morning show GMA.

The other thing also if you check their posts on Instagram, they limit how many people can comment. Sounds a bit fishy to me, because other news reporters usually keep their comments on.

he seems like he may be already checked out

From what I have gathered after the first series of episodes once they explained why they were fired and the immediate aftermath, clearly T.J. is struggling to find a proper outlet.

Both Amy and T.J. have undergone therapy, but all we can do as (past) fans is hope and pray that they find a way.
And we should all try to leave some positive comments on Apple Podcasts .

Small plug.

Amy explained during this very delicate sounding episode late on Wednesday night about her sudden outbursts and T.J. continues ranting on why he is so frustrated.

But at the end of the podcast, they both reminded us that they read every comment and that they encourage everyone to send as many positive reviews and more importantly, questions about your situations:

What thing(s) makes you frustrated with your life, the mental health aspects that Ginger Zee has always talked about in podcast interviews since revealing her diagnosis with her first of two books on the subject.

Lots to think about, but this episode shifted emotionally for me in many different directions. I wonder what other people here will think about it, so here is the link if you are curious to check it out:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0FAGF4otOjhuoPWhHoUO07?si=e862e35bf39645be

Finally...an episode that I was hoping to hear:

It referred to the unfair criticism that Michael Strahan faced when he was doing the celebratory interviews with members of the San Francisco 49'ers following their comeback win over the Detroit Lions for the NFC Championship.

The short podcast went into instant flashback mode both both Amy and T.J., when field reporters hear producers in their ear trying to cut interviews short. By the tones of their voices, they clearly defended their one-time colleague since Terry Bradshaw had an illness and was unable to make the trip from Los Angeles to Santa Clara.

The topic that had me laughing the most was when Amy was mortified over one of her earliest news reports in South Carolina, just as the Internet was in its' early stages in 1995. It spread like wildfire in the studio that they cut a special Christmas tape (yes, VHS casettes) to show all of the other on-air talent and staff--and Amy was right in the middle of it.

"Good thing that social media was not around back then."

T.J.'s was something related to what young anchors have to fight on the fly when the TelePrompter gets stuck after 2 or 3 lines of text.

With the title of "Unfair Penalty", go figure right?
I thought this particular episode was too good to mention, so make sure you leave 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a nice review on Spotify.

What they will discuss tomorrow? Who knows, maybe some early Super Bowl talk, or the same boring topics that took up a bulk of January. Something to look out for.

The February 13 episode had T.J. asking Amy about all of the pressure about not being interviewed--as opposed to "having our own platform":
"Our narrative was stolen from us."

Amy briefly talked about who she would want to have her first sit-down interview. Her choice didn't surprise me.

In the fifth minute, T.J. asked what do people think of you?
She set the record straight and tried to distance herself with the paparazzi that has haunted her since the first article was released by the Daily Mail in the UK.

One thing worth sharing is that she came close to leaving ABC was in early November 2019, this after the hot mic incident involving a report on Jeffrey Epstein. The segment is on YouTube if you wish to go back and see where it all went haywire.

Amy also apologized about her behavior during her teenage years. Just wait until you hear what type of punishment she had to go through.

Towards the end of the podcast, Amy recalled her first time laying eyes on T.J. away from the ABC News studios. and she revealed the one item she cannot live without. Amy is also "relieved and happy" that T.J. took over the cooking, while she had to do a lot of the cooking prior to them filing for their respective divorces. She left a small hint on an "intimate gathering" for their wedding, and where they want to escape to get away during their honeymoon (of which I imagine we may not know too much about, since they usually turn their comments off too quickly on their Instagram pages, just fyi.)

She also revealed the funniest thing she read in the tabloids, and part of it turned out to be true. She was looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her friends that she knows well and trusts the most (it was recorded before turning 51.)

Finally, they are on TikTok--so we can see them speak while they are wearing hoodies, jeans, and sometimes sweatpants (presumably recording after doing their periodic runs, since this was how it all started.)

This one is definitely worth a listen, unlike the nearly 90 minute snoozefest when they interviewed Matt James of Bachelor fame for a rare tell all interview.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5aw7MtgLF8f5vq0Az5TOcs?si=_5xCNg3aSPma1isBMfOFQw