Talk Show Hosts Who Left Hollywood: Where Are They Now?

Some of the most popular talk shows on TV are full of inspiring stories, memorable segments and entertaining hosts. But most viewers know that many programs have a rotating panel of hosts, with some retiring or completely disappearing after only a few seasons.

In 1952, Today debuted its first episode with Dave Garroway as the lead anchor. As the first morning program of its kind, the host pioneered the talk show format that viewers have come to know and love today. Garroway left the long-running series in 1961 but his contributions to the franchise have not been forgotten.

In the years that followed Garroway’s departure, so many talented hosts have taken a seat at the news desk on Today, including Meredith Vieira, Katie Couric, Ann Curry and more. The early ‘90s and mid-2000s ushered in a new class of hosts who have now become mainstays on the show like Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker.

In January 2022, Today celebrated its 70th anniversary and looked back on some of the show’s most iconic moments and past hosts. “I think the secret sauce why this show has lasted 70 years is its good company,” Hoda shared during the episode. Craig Melvin chimed in, adding, ”There’s no place this show hasn’t gone.”

One of Today’s biggest competitors in the morning TV lineup, Good Morning America, has also seen a number of hosts’ careers blossom during their time on the show. Joan Lunden, Diane Sawyer, Charlie Gibson and other notable reporters have anchored GMA since its inception in 1975.

In November 2015, the ABC series celebrated its 40-year anniversary by bringing together hosts of the past and present to reflect on their careers.

“There is something very intimate about morning television,” Robin Roberts told The Los Angeles Times at the time. “People feel like you’re a part of their family. They grow up with you. And they see you grow up. There is no other place where you can share so much of yourself, and it’s expected. The viewers want that.”

Just as daytime talk shows often go through casting changes, so do late-night talk shows. David Letterman, who began his TV career as a weatherman, launched his own morning show in 1980. Two years later, he took over a nighttime spot with NBC’s Late Night With David Letterman before making his move to CBS with The Late Show With David Letterman. Letterman announced his retirement in 2015, with Stephen Colbert replacing him in the nightly lineup.

Keep scrolling to find out what happened to some of TV’s most notable talk show hosts.

Dave Garroway

After leaving Today in 1961, Garroway largely stayed out of the spotlight. He made a few rare TV and radio appearances in the years that followed, including a cameo in the series Alias Smith and Jones in 1972. The Hollywood Walk of Fame recipient returned to Today in January 1982 to celebrate the show’s 30th anniversary.

A few months later in July, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 69 after undergoing open heart surgery. He was survived by his kids, Paris, Michael and David Jr., from his three marriages.

David Hartman

From 1975 to 1987, David Hartman served as one of the first hosts of GMA. Prior to joining the talk show in its inaugural season, Hartman worked as an actor, appearing in a number of Broadway shows and scoring a Golden Globe nomination for his work in The Bold Ones: The New Doctors.

After leaving GMA, the Hollywood Squares panelist began hosting a series of documentaries on PBS. In recent years, he took his talent to the radio to host broadcasts for the North Carolina Symphony. From his first marriage to Maureen Downey, Hartman is a father of four.

David Letterman

To many, Letterman is now unrecognizable, growing a long beard since stepping away from his late-night talk show in 2015. He did reemerge onto the talk show circuit in 2018 with his Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman.

In August 2021, Letterman was hospitalized after falling on the sidewalk during a trip to Rhode Island and hitting his head. The comedian, who is a dad to son Harry, has since made a full recovery.

Barbara Walters

Barbara Walters created The View in 1997 and made her final appearance as a host of the program in 2014. While she had a lifetime of incredible accolades in the realm of journalism and entertainment, the Television Hall of Fame inductee was rarely seen in public during the last few years of her life. She died at home at age 93 on December 30, 2022, and is survived by her only child, daughter Jacqueline Guber.

“Barbara adored her, and they were close,” a friend of the late broadcaster told Closer in January 2023. “Of course, they had their differences — but Jackie was there for her in the end.”

Tom Brokaw

Tom Brokaw served as an anchor on Today from 1976 to 1981. Soon after stepping away from the series, he joined NBC Nightly News as an anchor and managing editor. After 55 years on NBC, the network announced Tom was retiring in January 2021.

The longtime news correspondent was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable but treatable blood cancer, in 2013. He gave a rare glimpse of his life after retirement in November 2021, sharing a photo on Twitter with his wife, Meredith Lyn Auld.