Yahoo Movies T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach's GMA3 Absence Addressed by Temporary Hosts Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez
T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are stepping back from GMA3 for a bit.
During Monday's episode of the Good Morning America spinoff, the series announcer announced the pair as well as Dr. Jennifer Ashton as usual. But temporary co-hosts Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez were seated at the desk beside Ashton.
Ramos then briefly addressed Holmes and Robach's absence from the show.
"Welcome everybody to what you need to know on this Monday," she said. "Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes have the day off."
Benitez then added: "We are so glad you are here with us to begin this brand new week here on GMA3, and we are tracking so much."
PEOPLE confirmed Monday that Ramos and Benitez will temporarily step in for co-anchors Holmes and Robach after their romance went public last week. Ramos is an ABC News correspondent who began her journalism career while serving in the U.S. military, while Benitez is also an ABC correspondent who mainly covers transportation.
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"Good Monday morning! See you on @abcgma3 later this afternoon …. check your local listings for times," Ramos shared an Instagram an hour before Monday's broadcast.
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It's unclear how long Ramos and Benitez will hold the positions for — and if/when Robach, 49, and Holmes, 45, will return.
A source told PEOPLE that the decision to put Holmes and Robach on hiatus was announced during a routine staff call on Monday led by ABC News President Kim Godwin. Per a second source, it was revealed that "GMA decided to have a period of cooling down, because they thought this was unwanted attention so, for the time being, they're going to be off the air."
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Last week, photos were released that showed Robach and Holmes on vacation in upstate New York. A few other shots featured them laughing together over drinks and holding hands. At the time the photos surfaced, neither Robach nor Holmes was believed to be separated from their spouse.
A different source previously told PEOPLE that both Robach and Holmes separated from their partners in August, striking up a romantic relationship thereafter. The duo has yet to confirm the end of their marriages, but Robach's husband Andrew Shue has deleted all photos of Robach from his Instagram page.
An insider said Robach and Holmes' connection was no secret at ABC. "There were so many people internally that were unhappy about it. They were flirtatious," the source shared.
RELATED: Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes' Relationship Was Known by 'So Many' at GMA: 'They Were Flirtatious'
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Two days after the photos were published by the Daily Mail, Holmes seemed to joke about the viral drama on-air Friday. "You know, it's too bad it's Friday. It's been a great week" said Holmes, sparking laughter from Robach. "I just want this one to keep going and going and going. Just enjoy it! Take it all in."
Robach responded, "Speak for yourself."
"I am very excited about the weekend — and I'm sure everyone else is too," she added. "We all love our Fridays around here. Some of us do, at least."
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GMA3 airs new episodes weekdays (check local listings).
