Longtime KNXV anchor Steve Irvin is signing off from the Phoenix, Ariz. ABC affiliate because, as he said, he “didn’t want to die in the job.”
Irvin announced the news last November due to health issues, which he said included coming “dangerously close to a heart attack.” He told azcentral he gave the move a lot of thought.
“I’m well past the point of having any regrets or doubts about it,” said Irvin. “I wanted to make this a thorough process, so that is why I decided to do what I did.”
“At the end of the day, my priority is my health and having dinner with my wife,” Irvin said. “So those are the things that I really want to do—and I can do that. Those things were more important than reporting the news.”
Irvin, who anchors the 6 and 10 p.m. news, started working at KNXV in 2002 as a morning anchor. He said he’s been very honest about why he is leaving, adding his heart scare “scared the crap” out of him.
“I think it would scare the crap out of anybody, knowing you’re a ticking time bomb,” said Irvin. “You could have a heart attack at any point—and that’s it, you’re done. I didn’t want to die in the job.”