Away Since August, Frances Scott Returns to WTVD Anchor Desk

By Andrew Gauthier 

WTVD anchor Frances Scott returned to the air this week after an unexpectedly long period of time away following double hip surgery.

Scott, who has been with the Raleigh ABC station on and off since 1998, was born without hip sockets and underwent surgery in September to replace both of her hips.

Rehabilitation took longer than expected because Scott encountered a severe amount of pain while she learned to walk again.  In addition to retraining her muscles, she had to retrain her nervous system.

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“I thought I’d be better in three months,” Scott told TVSpy recently, speaking about her prolonged leave of absence.  “I’m sure it was incredibly hard and frustrating for everybody [at WTVD].”

“I’m really relieved that I’m now finally fixed,” she added.

Before stepping away from the WTVD anchor desk in mid-August, Scott anchored the station’s 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. newscasts.  Following her time away, she is now doing only the 4 o’clock news.

An avid runner, Scott began experiencing chronic pain in her hips in her late 20s.  After years of seeing different doctors about the pain, one specialist finally diagnosed her with hip dysplasia.

“Like a labrador, I had hip dysplasia,” Scott joked, explaining that her hips had formed incorrectly and continued to get worse as she got older.

While she wishes she could have returned to WTVD sooner, Scott said that the ordeal was an opportunity for her to put things in perspective.

“I threw a football for the first time with my son recently,” Scott said, describing her new-found mobility.  “I’m just so happy I can throw a football now.”

Here’s a WTVD report on Scott’s rehabilitation and return to air…

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