(1960-)

Who Is Robin Roberts?

Journalist Robin Roberts grew up in Mississippi and earned a degree in communications from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1983. She went on to become a sports reporter and anchor for a local TV station in Mississippi. At age 29, Roberts began hosting ESPN's Sportscenter and, not long after, appearing as a guest reporter on Good Morning America. In 2005, she was hired as a full-time co-anchor of the morning news program. In August 2012, Roberts took a leave of absence from Good Morning America in order to undergo treatment for a rare blood disorder that she contracted after undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. She returned to the show on February 20, 2013. In early 2014, Roberts officially came out as a gay woman.

Early Life

Robin René Roberts was born on November 23, 1960, in Tuskegee, Alabama and grew up in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The youngest of four siblings and the daughter of a Tuskegee Airmen pilot, Roberts spent her childhood cultivating athletic and academic success, graduating as her high school's salutatorian. Her sister, Sally-Ann Roberts, became a local news anchor, and Robin followed in her footsteps, earning a journalism scholarship and a degree in communications from Southeastern Louisiana University.

Early Broadcast Career

Immediately after graduating from college, Roberts used her unique combination of athletic talent and journalistic skill to become a sports reporter and anchor for a local TV station in Mississippi. She progressed and succeeded, moving every year or two to a larger city in the South — from Hattiesburg to Biloxi to Nashville and then Atlanta — as her popularity and experience grew.

ESPN to 'Good Morning America'

At age 29, Roberts was hired by ESPN, where she hosted the network's flagship news program, Sportscenter. Around this same time, she began making appearances as a guest reporter on Good Morning America, a show broadcast by ABC, a sister network of ESPN (both networks are owned by The Walt Disney Company).

In 2005, after years of contributing to both ESPN and Good Morning America, ABC hired Roberts as a full-time co-anchor of the morning news program. When Diane Sawyer, then an anchor on Good Morning America, was named anchor of ABC World News, the network's nighttime news program, Roberts and George Stephanopoulos served as co-anchors. Together, the two helped lead the show to the top of the competitive morning show ratings, beating NBC's Today show, which had held the No. 1 spot for more than a decade.

Cancer and Bone Marrow Transplant

In August 2012, Roberts took a leave of absence from Good Morning America in order to undergo treatment for a rare blood disorder that she contracted as a complication of the chemotherapy she received for breast cancer in 2007. Roberts had a bone marrow transplant in September.

Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for The Steve Harvey Foundation//Getty Images

Robin Roberts

On the day she announced on-air that she was sick with myelodysplastic syndrome, the website for Be the Match, a nonprofit organization that keeps a national bone marrow donation registry, experienced an 1,800 percent spike in donors. Roberts herself did not rely on the registry, but rather on her sister, Sally-Ann, who doctors deemed an excellent match. Nonetheless, Roberts advocated for bone marrow donation via Be the Match and encouraged viewers to register.

Return to 'GMA'

On February 20, 2013, Roberts made her first appearance on Good Morning America since she had begun treatment. The world witnessed her emotional return and happy reunion with the Good Morning America staff. Roberts helped Good Morning America win its best ratings numbers since the morning after the presidential election in November 2012, as 6.1 million viewers tuned in to see her return to the air. "I have been waiting 174 days to say this: Good morning, America!" she said during the segment.

Roberts remains a popular co-host on the show, alongside Stephanopoulos and former football star Michael Strahan.

Books, Awards and Personal

The news anchor has authored multiple books, including From the Heart: 7 Rules to Live By and Everybody’s Got Something.

Following her recovery, Roberts was honored at the 2013 ESPYs with the prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which was presented by basketball star LeBron James. Additionally, she received the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2014 and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2016.

In early January 2014, Roberts officially came out as a gay woman on Good Morning America. She hadn't publicly discussed her sexual orientation prior to this announcement. The public also got to see a photo of Roberts's girlfriend, Amber Laign, on the show, following the news anchor's revelation.

QUICK FACTS

Name: Robin Roberts
Birth Year: 1960
Birth date: November 23, 1960
Birth State: Alabama
Birth City: Tuskegee
Birth Country: United States
Gender: Female
Best Known For: Television broadcaster Robin Roberts rose to prominence in the 1990s as a host of ESPN's 'Sportscenter' and as a guest reporter on ABC's 'Good Morning America.' In 2005, she was hired as a full-time co-anchor of the morning news program.
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