Tony Armstrong announces his "retirement" live on air
After three years on the ABC News Breakfast couch, Tony Armstrong is leaving the show.
Sharing the news on-air on Tuesday, he announced his last day on the program would be Friday October 4th.
“I’ve been pretty nervous about doing this,” Armstrong began, before going on to say he had “retired from News Breakfast.”
“I just want to thank Brekky and the broader ABC News team for welcoming me in with open arms and helping me grow over the past few years,” he added. “[It] feels like I’ve been on a bit of a rocket ship.”
Armstrong continued, “I’m going to miss the couch. Not the alarm, but I’ll miss the couch. And, yeah, I’ve had such a ball. I’m going to miss everyone but, um, yeah. You’ll still see me around.”
Co-host Michael Rowland paid tribute to Armstrong, saying, “I am so sorry three years of talking sport and swapping gags with Tony is about to end.”
“He is an engaging colleague and a good friend. In fact, there’s no one I would rather sit through an earthquake with. We did. Google it.”
Armstrong also shared the news to his Instagram followers, writing, "Plenty more people to thank and I’ll do that next week, but that’s it for me at NBK. Looking forward to whatever comes next! Thanks to these amazing on-air teammates for making the mornings SOMEWHAT bearable."
Armstrong, a proud Gamilaroi man, will remain with the public broadcaster, where he’s set to host a new series which will air next year, while his replacement on the News Breakfast program has yet to be announced.
Image credits ABC