George Stephanopoulos was missing from Good Morning America on Friday January 12, and the reason has been revealed.
The news anchor was replaced by Whit Johnson on the news desk, who sat alongside Eva Pilgrim, who was filling in for Robin Roberts, and regular co-anchor Michael Strahan.
Instead of working, George was spending quality time with his beloved wife, Ali Wentworth, who was celebrating her 59th birthday.
Ali shared several photos from her special day on social media, revealing that the couple had jetted off to a warmer climate. In one picture, the pair were pictured walking hand in hand along a street lined with palm trees.
By the looks of things, they were in the West Coast, and looked more than happy to be there from their wide smiles. "Birthday walk!" Ali captioned the snapshot, which resulted in a mass of birthday wishes from her loyal fans.
George and Ali recently returned to the United States following a special family vacation to Japan. The pair went away over the holiday season with their two grown-up daughters, Elliott and Harper, as well as their good friend Jerry Seinfeld and his family.
They then went to London just after the new year, with Ali sharing a lovely set of photos of herself dressed up in a black lace dress while at a fancy event in the UK's capital.
The pair have been married since 2002 and celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary in November.
Ali opened up about the beginning of their love story during at a book signing in Sarasota back in 2012. "I didn't care about politics, and figured he'd be the last person I'd be interested in," Ali said. "I was holding out for Hugh Grant or Matthew Perry."
After agreeing to go on the blind date to please her friend, Ali realised that she had a lot in common with George, even ordering the same meal – a crab salad – and proceeded to talk for hours.
George told New York Times: "You know how when you go on a date and the first 15 minutes are on automatic pilot? About 15 minutes in, she just leaned in and said something, and we were suddenly in another place, in another universe, immediately. We went from strangers to friends to being in love in days."
The pair were engaged after dating for just two months, and got married at a ceremony performed by George's father, who is a reverend.
© InstagramThey moved their family to NYC over a decade ago when George accepted a job as a co-anchor at Good Morning America.
The Go Ask Ali podcast star often shares hilarious stories about their family life in interviews, from their home life with their daughters to their relationship.
Speaking to HELLO! at the 33rd Annual Colleagues Spring Luncheon and Oscar de la Renta Fashion Show on Tuesday April 25, Ali even joked that she doesn't want her husband as a guest, quipping: "I am not sure what we would talk about!"
© InstagramIn 2023, the couple faced a big change when they became empty nesters after their youngest daughter Harper left home to start college in Nashville.
While it's been a struggle for the devoted parents, they are happy to see their girls thriving and made the most of their quality time with their daughters over the holidays.
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