‘Good Morning America’ Fans Aren’t Happy About Joe Buck Replacing George Stephanopoulos
As George Stephanopoulos enjoys some time off from Good Morning America, fans of the ABC morning show are voicing their dislike of his current replacement.
Stephanopoulos last appeared on GMA‘s Friday, July 18, episode, with Linsey Davis filling in for him on Monday, July 21, and Tuesday, July 22. ESPN’s Joe Buck took Stephanopoulos’ place at the GMA desk on Wednesday, July 23, and he will continue to cohost with Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts through the end of this week.
“It’s good to be here, thank you,” Buck said at the top of Wednesday’s show before being gifted a coffee mug and alarm clock by Strahan and Roberts. “I don’t know how you do this every day. I tip off the cap. But it’s great. Thank you for having me. I’ll try not to drive the ratings into the ground.”
While Buck was happy to join the GMA family, some viewers were not satisfied with his hosting performance. “I love Joe but wtf is he doing there?” one fan commented underneath a clip from Wednesday’s show on GMA‘s Instagram. “Don’t like Joe Buck! Hope George is back soon! Please don’t replace Michael with him!” another added.
“No, no, no!!!!” wrote a different user, while a fourth person posted, “Please, no. He’s insufferable on any broadcast. Please don’t ruin my mornings!” Someone else added, “Ugh- cringy and awkward. Don’t like him hosting football, and really don’t like him on GMA. Please tell me it’s temporary!!!”
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Others questioned why Stephanopoulos has been absent from GMA all week. “Where is George now? I don’t like not seeing him there in the morning,” one commenter questioned. Another stated, “Missing George. I’d like to see a political journalist sit at the desk.”
Some GMA fans, however, appreciated the show for using Stephanopoulos’ absence to try out a new guest host. “What a treat!! Someone who speaks clearly, unlike George. Keep Joe Buck,” one viewer shared, while a second stated, “Great job. Way better than the mumbling slouching George.”
The reason for Stephanopoulos’ GMA hiatus is unknown, though it’s likely he is simply enjoying vacation time. For instance, Today coanchors Craig Melvin and Savannah Guthrie have missed several episodes of the NBC morning show this week to spend some time off with their families.
For Stephanopoulos, his vacation likely also includes hanging out with his and wife Ali Wentworth‘s new puppy, Fig. The couple introduced their latest family addition on GMA earlier this month.
“This is Fig! Little Figgy! She was rescued. We adopted her last night,” Wentworth shared while cuddling the adorable pup on July 2. Poking fun at her and Stephanopoulos’s two daughters, Elliott and Harper, she added, “And if she wasn’t adopted, she probably would’ve spent her life in a cage as a breeder, and I know what that feels like.”
Wentworth continued, “[Fig] is really sweet. She was covered in ticks and fleas, but not anymore, and we really wanted to adopt another dog.”
Good Morning America, Weekdays, 7am/6c, ABC
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