‘GMA’: Sam Champion Returns to Show With Face Scarred After Cancer Surgery & Shares Update (VIDEO)

Sam Champion returned to Good Morning America on Friday, October 18 after a leave of absence for under-eye skin cancer surgery. The spot was “larger and deeper than I’d expected,” he shared, as he bravely sported a sizable scar on the air.

The beloved weather anchor has been documenting his skin cancer battle on social media (photos below), and for his live TV comeback, he detailed his surgery along with prevention tips.

“I hope that one day, no, one has to go through surgery to get rid of skin cancer,” Champion said. Recalling how he developed skin cancer, he explained: “I love nothing more than being outside. But these days, I wouldn’t think about going outside without sunscreen. It wasn’t always the case.”

“I hope that one day no one has to go through surgery to get rid of skin cancer.”

Our very own @samchampion reveals he recently underwent surgery for skin cancer treatment and shares important lessons he learned along the way. pic.twitter.com/5hOCZr2T1U

— Good Morning America (@GMA) October 18, 2024

“I don’t even have any way of counting how many times I had blistering sunburns. That was just the story of my life,” Champion was shown telling dermatologist Dr. Anthony Rossi at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he underwent skin cancer surgery on October 1.

As Champion further detailed, the “spot right under my eye” turned out to be a nodular basal cell carcinoma. “These skin cancers can grow like icebergs,” Rossi could be seen explaining at the hospital. “So, sometimes we only see the tip of the iceberg on the top of the skin, and as we go down and cut through we actually see it get wider or deeper.”

That was unfortunately the case for Champion. During Mohs surgery, his cancer was determined to have spread much deeper into his skin. The doctor explained Mohs is a “technique of surgery where not only do we just cut it out, but we actually look at it under the microscope in real time while you’re waiting… we just want to get out the cancer.” Champion also underwent laser treatment to remove some “dark, precancerous spots” on his face.

“While I can’t go back in time these days, we know more and I don’t leave home without putting on sunscreen,” Champion said. He also shared that he wasn’t allowed to put any cover-up makeup or ointment on the scar just yet, as the stitches were removed just a day prior. Still, he said: “The scar is not the problem. The skin cancer is the problem. We got rid of that.”

GMA shared a clip of Champion’s on-air update on Instagram where fans sent him their well wishes.

“Get well my dear Sam,” one fan commented.

“The sun is not our skin’s friend! I had a melanoma on my leg!! Get well!!” wrote another.

In an Instagram video shared the day before his appearance, Champion shared more details about his healing process, saying that he wasn’t allowed to hit the gym or “vigorously” wash his face. But as he shared on GMA, “The next phase of my journey will be scar care and trust me, there’s a lot of advancement in that as well.”

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Sam Champion 'Overwhelmed' After Skin Cancer Surgery

Champion also advised viewers to not be concerned if they hear they’ll need skin cancer surgery, explaining that scar treatment options these days are more advanced. “You know me, I’m going to try all of these things and I’ll tell you how they work, and I’m going to end up looking like I’m 20 years old,” Champion joked.

Champion has battled skin cancer for decades and received his first diagnosis in his mid-20s. Ever since then, he’s had multiple surgeries to remove suspicious moles. In May 2010, he underwent live-on-air surgery on GMA. He’s blamed his skin cancer on bad suntanning advice he got growing up.

He also shared that sunscreen has come a long way since the “goopy” stuff he grew up using. He concluded: “No matter how old you are — my first one was at 26 — no matter what your skin tone, your skin type, your skin color, they’re cutting skin cancer off of everybody. So, it’s everybody’s issue.”

Good Morning America, Weekdays, 7am/6am c, ABC