Inside Alisyn Camerota’s Quiet Departure From CNN

CNN’s Alisyn Camerota anchored her final show on Sunday afternoon. Filling in for Fredricka Whitfield, Camerota informed viewers at the end of the 4 p.m. hour that she would be moving on after a 10-plus year stint at the network. (All times Eastern.)

“I’ve had such incredible opportunities here,” she said in her exit statement. “I’ve interviewed presidents and heroes and extraordinary people—the kind of peak career experiences that I had dreamed of since I was a teenager.”

“The journalists at CNN are the very best in the entire news business,” Camerota added. “It is an honor to have been their colleague. It’s also an honor to have been in your homes this past decade through some of the biggest stories of our lifetimes.”

Due to the unfolding situation in Syria over the weekend, Camerota shared screentime with Wolf Blitzer, who was brought in to lead that coverage.

.@AlisynCamerota announcing that she is leaving @CNN
Only the best to you going forward !

12.8.24 5pm ET pic.twitter.com/HNLJNtcHTj

— Jeff Storobinsky (@jeffstorobinsky) December 8, 2024

Her subdued departure stands in marked contrast to her July 2014 arrival at CNN. Camerota had been brought over from Fox News by former CNN head Jeff Zucker and became a permanent addition to the retooled morning show New Day, which she co-anchored with Chris Cuomo and Michaela Pereira.

Camerota remained in that position from January 2015 until April 2021, when she moved to co-anchoring CNN Newsroom with Victor Blackwell on weekday afternoons. Her New Day depature was more celebratory, featuring farewell messages from Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN national security reporter Josh Campbell, and her husband Tim Lewis, who passed away earlier this year.

In September 2022, CNN’s then-CEO Chris Licht moved her from the afternoons to primetime as the anchor of CNN Tonight at 10 p.m. That interim assignment became permanent the following January, and she remained in the timeslot until August 2023 when she was replaced by Abby Phillip.

Camerota then transitioned to a reporting role for CNN’s long-form unit, focusing on The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper. Her on-air appearances grew limited following that move; Camerota was notably absent from much of CNN’s coverage of the 2024 presidential election cycle. 

One reason for her minimal appearances was her husband’s battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. “I plan to write more in the coming days and be back at work in the next few weeks,” Camerota wrote in an Instagram post announcing Lewis’ passing. Her return saw her taking on a fill-in anchor role that she held until announcing her departure.

TVNewser has reached out to both CNN and Camerota regarding her on-air role at the network towards the end of her tenure, but received no response at press time.

Current CEO Mark Thompson is in the midst of making significant changes at the network, including trimming talent salaries and forecasting looming layoffs. Camerota may have considered herself an odd person out as the the network navigates its current transition mode.

“Alisyn is a rare talent with the ability to interview world leaders and everyday heroes with both strength and empathy.” Thompson wrote in a statement following news of her exit. “She’s been a wonderful colleague at CNN for more than a decade, and we will be cheering her on in her new pursuits where she will surely find much success.”

“New horizons are great when you are ready for them,” Camerota said after her final CNN broadcast, promising an announcement about her next steps soon.

Her exit from CNN may have been quiet, but it seems Camerota is not done making noise.