For more than two decades, millions of Americans started their mornings with the same familiar face. Through major storms, breaking news, and countless life moments, she became a trusted part of the daily routine for Fox News viewers.
Now, after years of keeping one of television’s most demanding schedules, that chapter has come to an emotional end for deeply personal reasons.
Janice Dean delivered a tearful farewell Friday on Fox & Friends, ending a 22-year career at Fox News and explaining that her ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis ultimately forced her to step away from the early-morning schedule.
Dean announced her decision last month in a video posted to X, but Friday marked her final appearance on the network’s morning program.
Speaking to viewers, Dean thanked the audience that welcomed her into their homes every morning.
“I want to say to the audience, I have loved every moment you have invited me into your living rooms every single morning,” she said.
She recalled meeting viewers outside the Fox News studios, interacting with children during weather segments and building relationships with an audience that had become like an extended family over the years.
Dean joined Fox News more than 22 years ago and rose to become the network’s senior meteorologist. During that time, she shared many of her life’s biggest moments with viewers, including her engagement, the births of her two sons and the devastating loss of her in-laws during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her decision to leave was not driven by controversy or contract negotiations.
Instead, Dean said the physical toll of waking up every day at 2:30 a.m. while living with multiple sclerosis had simply become too much.
“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, right? It’s tough on your body,” Dean said.
“I did it for a long time, and I probably shouldn’t have done it as long as I did.”
She said she believes she is stepping away at a point where she can still improve her health.
“But I think I caught it at a time where I can repair myself a little bit. And part of that is, unfortunately, getting away from a job that was very stressful in a lot of ways, even though I loved it so much.”
Dean also became emotional as she thanked her husband for the sacrifices he made throughout her career.
She said he carried “the lion’s share” of the responsibility for raising their two sons during the years she was leaving for work while most families were still asleep.
It was a tribute, she said, to the unseen support that allowed her to remain on television for more than two decades.
As the farewell continued, Dean admitted that leaving Fox News felt like losing a second family.
“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.”
Although Dean is leaving the daily broadcast, she expressed gratitude rather than regret.
She said she considers it the honor of her life to have spent more than 22 years serving Fox News viewers each morning.
Fox News has not announced whether Dean will remain with the network in another capacity.
What is certain is that her departure closes the book on one of the longest-running and most recognizable careers in morning cable television.
