Janice Dean said an emotional on-air farewell to "Fox & Friends" on Friday, closing out 22 years as the show's senior meteorologist as she continues to manage her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
Dean, 56, first announced her departure last month in a video posted to social media, explaining that the early-morning hours - she woke at 2:30 a.m. for years to prepare for the show - had become too physically demanding as she manages the chronic autoimmune disease. "Living with an illness, we don't talk about this on TV, but getting up at 2:30 in the morning is a really tough thing," she said. "I did it for a long time, and I probably shouldn't have done it as long as I did. But I think I caught it at a time where I can repair myself a little bit."
Friday's farewell segment ran 15 minutes, with colleagues honoring her career through a montage of memorable moments that brought her to tears. "I wasn't going to cry, and now I'm crying," she said. "Thanks for letting me do what I love to do." She also spoke candidly about the transition ahead. "When you leave a career, a job, there is a grieving period, because this has been part of my life," she said. "You guys have been my second family... turning the page on this chapter has been really heavy."
Dean has been open for years about the role her Christian faith plays in getting her through hard seasons - from her family's losses during the pandemic to her MS diagnosis. She's spoken publicly about leaning on Psalm 34:18 during difficult stretches: "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." As she begins this next chapter away from the anchor desk, it's a verse many of her longtime viewers may find themselves returning to as well.
