Janice Dean's Health Exit
Janice Dean, Fox News Veteran, Retires After 22 Years, Prioritizing Health Amid MS Battle
Key Points
The farewell montage highlighted Dean’s work beyond weather, including reporting outside the Fox building, on the Fox Weather vehicle, and studio segments tied to major events such as the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby, and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Dean announced her departure in June via a candid social media video, marking the timing of her exit.
In her farewell, she referenced personal milestones such as engagement and pregnancies, noted the MS diagnosis 20 years ago, and mentioned the deaths of her in-laws during COVID.
She acknowledged support from her husband, Sean Newman, a retired Battalion Chief for the New York City Fire Department.
Dean described the wake-up time of 2:30 a.m. for the morning shift as especially hard for someone living with multiple sclerosis.
Janice Dean, a senior meteorologist and familiar face on Fox & Friends for 22 years, has retired from Fox News due to the progression of multiple sclerosis. She announced the departure in June via a candid social media video, citing the brutal 2:30 a.m. wake-up time as especially hard on her body, according to USA Today.
In an emotional on-air farewell, Dean cried while thanking colleagues and viewers she called a "second family." Fox & Friends aired a retrospective montage covering her entire career. Her doctors had advised her to leave the high-stress environment for the sake of her health.
MS and Early Mornings Forced Dean's Hand
Dean was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 20 years ago. MS is a disease that attacks the nervous system and drains energy. She told viewers that the daily grind of an early morning show had become too much. "2:30 a.m. is really hard when you have MS," she said, according to NWF Daily News.
Her doctors urged her to step away from the demanding schedule. She said leaving was not an easy choice. She described the process as a kind of grief — walking away from a role she had held for more than two decades. But she said her health had to come first.
22 Years of Milestones, Live on Air
Dean joined Fox News and built a career that went far beyond reading weather maps. The farewell montage showed her reporting from outside the Fox building, riding the Fox Weather vehicle, and covering major events. Those events included the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby, and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, according to The Ledger.
She also shared deeply personal moments on air. Viewers watched her get engaged, announce pregnancies, and open up about her MS diagnosis. In her farewell, she also referenced the deaths of her in-laws during the COVID pandemic — a loss she had spoken about publicly at the time.
Husband and Family Anchored Her Through It All
Dean gave special thanks to her husband, Sean Newman, a retired Battalion Chief for the New York City Fire Department. She credited his support as a key reason she was able to keep going for as long as she did. She called him her rock throughout her illness and her career, according to Daily Commercial.
Colleagues and Viewers React to an Emotional Exit
The farewell segment on Fox & Friends drew tears from Dean and her co-hosts alike. Colleagues gathered to say goodbye on air. Viewers flooded social media with messages of support after her June announcement. The response showed the deep connection she built with her audience over 22 years, according to St. Augustine Record.
Dean said she hoped to focus on her health, her family, and possibly writing — she is already a published author. She did not rule out staying connected to her audience in other ways. But she was clear: the era of 2:30 a.m. alarms is over.
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