'GMA' Weather Anchor Sam Champion Returns After Serious Health Scare and Surgery
This weekend's local weather forecast is looking pretty bright as Sam Champion is officially back at the Good Morning America weather desk following a recent health scare.
The fan-favorite anchor, 63, returned to his usual spot on live TV this week, documenting all the feelings, emotions and details leading up to his big reunion with his co-stars weeks after seeking medical treatment for what he thought was just a mark on his face with followers on Instagram.
After learning the spot was basal cell carcinoma–one of the most common types of skin cancer, with supermodel Christie Brinkley also revealing she was diagnosed with it earlier this year–Champion underwent surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City earlier this month. He appears to be healing well, according to recent updates.
On Wednesday, Oct. 16, Champion shared a montage of pictures and brief videos that captured the process the media personality recently went through after being treated by a dermatologist for the mark under his left eye. It concluded with a photo of him smiling and back at work in the studio with his ABC 7 co-anchors.
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"A three week Skin cancer journey down to just a few images," he wrote in the accompanying caption. "Being aware of your skin, and touching it everywhere, is so very important. Because the time to get concerned is when you notice something changing in shape or color or texture. Then go to a good dermatologist that you trust."
Fast forward to this morning, Champion uploaded a video of himself during his commute to work, offering fans an update on his healing process and a view of all the sightseeing he gets to do before the sun is even up.
"Got the stitches out last night or yesterday in the afternoon," he clarified before teasing what was to come in the Oct. 18 episode of GMA. "A lot of people want to know more about it [skin cancer], so we're gonna tell you how to spot it, how to treat it, how to get in there and try to prevent it."
"There have been so many advancements in sun protection, sunscreen and laser treatments for pre-cancerous areas, so I hope, one day, no one has to go through surgery to get rid of skin cancer," Champion later shared on Friday's episode of GMA.
"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
Emphasizing the importance of regular sunscreen use, he added: "No matter how old you are ... no matter what your skin tone, your skin type, your skin color, they're cutting skin cancer off everybody, so it's everybody's issue."