After nearly a year serving as a contributing anchor on ABC’s newsmagazine show 20/20, Deborah Roberts has been upped to the more permanent position of co-anchor.
ABC News president Kim Godwin announced the news to staff via memo Tuesday morning.
“Deborah is an empathetic reporter, bringing humanity to every story,” Godwin said.
Roberts will be co-anchoring 20/20 alongside World News Tonight’s David Muir. She permanently fills a role vacated by Amy Robach, who was let go after her romantic relationship with T.J. Holmes was made public.
In addition to her new role at 20/20, Roberts will continue to serve as senior national affairs correspondent for the network.
Roberts has reported for 20/20 since 1995 and earned Emmys for her international and national coverage of world events, including her reporting on an Ethiopian-American woman’s emotional journey back to her African village to discover her long-lost mother.
In 2021, Roberts was awarded a Peabody Award for the 20/20 special Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor, which featured her extensive reporting on Taylor’s tragic case.
Additionally, Roberts has been married to NBC Today show co-host and weather anchor Al Roker since 1995.
Read Godwin’s note to ABC News staff below.
Good morning, ABC News! I’m thrilled to announce that Deborah Roberts will be elevating her role to co-anchor of “20/20” after her elevation to contributing anchor of the program one year ago.
Deborah will join David Muir as co-anchor and will also continue to report across all programs and platforms as senior national affairs correspondent.
Deborah has been reporting for “20/20” since 1995, covering everything from profiles of political figures to the most shocking crime cases gripping the nation. She is a skilled investigative journalist, oftentimes trekking across the country to conduct hard-hitting interviews, providing viewers with relevant, insightful information. Deborah is an empathetic reporter, bringing humanity to every story.
Deborah was recruited by her mentor, Barbara Walters, to join ABC News in 1995. Since then, she has reported for “Nightline,” “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight with David Muir,” as well as served as a substitute anchor for “Good Morning America” and guest co-host on “The View.” Over the course of her legendary career, Deborah has received a Peabody Award for the “20/20” special “Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor,” was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 2023, and has been awarded multiple Emmy® Awards for her national and international coverage of world events, including the AIDS crisis in Africa and maternal mortality in Bangladesh.
In addition to her accomplished journalism career, Deborah is also the author of two books – “Lessons Learned and Cherished: The Teacher Who Changed My Life,” which was a New York Times bestseller, and “Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom For Modern Times,” written with her husband, Al Roker.
Deborah joins David, executive producer Janice Johnston, and the “20/20” team at an exciting time. Now in its 46th season, the two-hour broadcast continues to produce innovative weekly documentaries and top-notch journalism. “20/20” is the #1 newsmagazine on Friday nights across the board, regularly featured in Hulu’s ‘Top 15 Today’ List and the #1 Disney podcast. There is no limit to what this powerhouse team can accomplish next.
Please join me in congratulating Deborah on her well-deserved new role.