Midtown loving, cocktail sipping, HRC gala attending, gay power broker Sam Champion is out. Out of a job. Out of town. And no longer gay Atlanta's own weather daddy and cuddle bunny.
Champion embraced gay Atlanta since he arrived in December 2013, hitting the HRC dinner and other LGBT events, backing husband Rubem Robierb at his art opening, staying fit with workouts at LF Fitness and delighting fans with selfies, beachy holigay shots and birthday sexiness.
But the former weather guy from ABC's “Good Morning America” couldn't get traction with his new morning show “AMHQ” on Atlanta-based Weather Channel. In 2015, he was pushed out and sent packing to the oddly-titled and only occasional primetime show “23.5 Degrees.” The Weather Channel romance was on the rocks and now, Champion and his $2 million salary are gone. Via the AJC:
“While Sam will always be part of The Weather Channel family, we have mutually agreed to not enter into a new contract. As our managing editor, host of our flagship AMHQ and his pioneering work on ‘23.5 Degrees,’ Sam’s leadership has helped transform The Weather Channel into the dynamic high-quality environment it is today, and we are grateful for his contribution and dedication. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
The pre-taped finale of “23.5 Degrees” aired Tuesday. Champion has already moved to Miami to be with Robierb. No word on the fate of Champion's snazzy Midtown digs.
Not that Champion is sweating any of this.
