A string of absences by Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos has some fans concerned about the show’s host.
He’s been a regular part of ABC’s GMA for over a decade, waking up early mornings to get to work and help present the day’s biggest stories.
During the past week, viewers saw his GMA co-hosts, Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts, each missing a few episodes.
Stephanopoulos missed the past week as replacements filled in for him.
Along with his absences from the show, he remained silent on social media about missing GMA.
However, there seems to be a plausible explanation for why the longtime host has been away more than usual.
Stephanopoulos was replaced on the GMA episode before Christmas
As the Friday, December 22 GMA episode arrived, viewers saw Michael Strahan at the desk, but his colleagues Robin Roberts and Stephanopoulos were missing.
Deborah Roberts and Whit Johnson joined Strahan for the episode a few days before Christmas.
The show included various GMA stars, including Strahan, Roberts, Johnson, Lara Spencer, and Ginger Zee, showing their ugly sweater fashion.
In addition, singer Brandy performed in promotion of her new Christmas album.
While viewers enjoyed the festive and fun segments ahead of Christmas, several wondered about Stephanopoulos’s whereabouts.
According to one publication’s report, several fans on social media expressed their concerns about the GMA host missing the week of shows.
“When is George coming back??” a fan asked on Twitter, and another asked, “George are u ok???” on Instagram, per The Sun.
Stephanopoulos’s absence possibly explained
GMA’s Robin Roberts revealed she’d be taking a holiday trip to Key West with her wife.
Stephanopoulos could also be taking some time off for the holidays to be with his family ahead of a busy new year with his upcoming book.
Several weeks ago, his wife, Ali Wentworth, shared an Instagram post indicating they were “getting ready” for their daughters, Elliott and Harper, to come home from college for the holidays.
Stephanopoulos is also preparing for his book release
While Good Morning America shared several more recent clips on his Instagram, Stephanopoulos’s last post arrived on December 11.
The GMA host shared several photos from his appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, promoting his upcoming book, The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis.
His new book arrives on May 14, 2024, with Stephanopoulos also promoting it on GMA and his social media.
“Always a great time with @sethmeyers… thank you for having me @latenightseth!! Tune-in tonight. #TheSituationRoom is available for pre-order now,” the caption of his post read.
He joked about his 21-year-old daughter Elliott during his appearance on the show, saying she told him, “Sometimes when I have a little trouble falling asleep, I will listen to your book.”
“You know what’s really sweet about that is that I don’t think she intended it to be the biggest burn,” Stephanopoulos told Meyers.
He revealed that Elliott’s friends have also started to use the audiobook to fall asleep, suggesting it is similar to the popular ASMR online.
During the show, Myers congratulated Stephanopoulos on his 22 years of marriage to Ali Wentworth. The GMA host also talked about having to be up so early for his morning show.
“I’ve been doing this…14 years. Sleeping? Four,” he joked with Meyers about his early morning routine.
Fans hope to see Stephanopoulos back next week as Good Morning America pushes toward 2024.