'GMA' co-host Gio Benitez celebrates 11 years on show as he fills in for Michael Strahan

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Gio Benitez appeared on the January 16 episode of 'Good Morning America' with his co-hosts Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, marking 11 years on the show.

The co-host also shared that he was filling in for his colleague Michael Strahan, who is taking time off from the show to presumably be with his daughter Isabella who is fighting brain cancer. According to The US Sun, it is not clear when the co-host will return to the morning show.

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Gio Benitez's Instagram post

Benitez took to social media to share the news of him completing 11 years on the show, as well as announcing that he will be filling in for Strahan.

Posting a picture of him from more than a decade ago, sitting at the 'GMA' desk with a merchandized mug in front of him, the co-host wrote in caption, "1/16/13 • It was 11 years ago today when I first got to sit at the @goodmorningamerica desk for my first report at @abcnews (it was on the flu and George gave me hand sanitizer before shaking my hand 🤣)."

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"Today I get to sit side-by-side with my dear friends @robinrobertsgma and @gstephanopoulos, filling in for the great @michaelstrahan. Hope you’ll join us this morning as we say, 'Good Morning America'," he added.

At the beginning of Tuesday's episode, co-hosts Roberts and Stephanopoulos congratulated Benitez on his work anniversary.

Also Read: 'GMA' host Michael Strahan announces new role as granddad after daughter Tanita welcomes baby boy

Michael Strahan and his family facing tough times

Strahan and his 19-year-old daughter Isabella sat down with co-host Roberts for an interview on the January 11 episode of 'GMA'. The pair revealed that Isabella is suffering from brain cancer.

Back in October 2023, the teenager was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, and doctors had found a golf ball-sized mass in her brain, reported The Sun.

According to the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, medulloblastoma is a rare condition that accounts for about 20 percent of all childhood brain tumors, and it is 10 times more likely to affect children than adults.

Strahan has been on leave from the morning show since then. The news also explained why the co-host took an extended leave towards the end of 2023 for personal reasons.

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