In a surprising turn of events, ABC weatherman Sam Champion stunned viewers during a recent segment when he revealed his cancer diagnosis live on air. Champion, who is also a former contestant on “Dancing With the Stars,” discussed the treatment he underwent for an unusual mark on his face, which was later identified as nodular basal cell carcinoma, during a Friday episode of “GMA.”
“We started talking about it, and so many people were interested in it, we thought we’d continue the conversation,” Champion told Michael Strahan and fellow “GMA” hosts. He added, “I hope that one day no one has to go through surgery to get rid of skin cancer, but, right now, we have to keep our eye on our skin, our hands on our skin, be very vigilant and notice any unusual spots, and if those spots start to change, immediately get care.” “GMA” then showed footage of Champion’s surgery.
Champion, who married his husband, Brazilian artist Rubem Robierb, in 2012, expressed gratitude to fans for their support as he shared his diagnosis. He mentioned that he had been previously diagnosed in his 20s, attributing it to excessive sun exposure. “When I’m not bringing you the weather I love nothing more than being outside, but these days I wouldn’t think about going outside without sunscreen. It wasn’t always the case,” Champion continued. He recalled “blistering sunburns” he had experienced throughout his career of reporting outdoors and shared that he had the cancer removed at New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in early October.
Champion disclosed on social media that he underwent three rounds of surgery, admitting, “I didn’t want all that. I didn’t want a big gaping hole, and now, I’m going to have a big gaping hole,’ he said in a video on X, formerly Twitter. He added, “I’m not going to enjoy having a larger scar than I thought I was going to have, but that’s the way it’s going today.” After sharing an image of his scar following the operation, he advised fans, “Watch your skin and ask your doctor to examine anything that doesn’t seem right to you!”
On “Good Morning America,” he updated, “The next phase of my journey will be scar care, and trust me there is a lot of advancement in that as well.” He concluded with a cautionary note, “No matter how old you are — my first one was at 26 — no matter what your skin tone, your skin type, your skin color, they’re cutting skin cancer off of everybody. So, it’s everybody’s issue.” The Post reached out to ABC and “GMA” for comment.
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