Internet upset, says Poppy Harlow 'will be missed' as she announced departure from CNN after 16 years

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Poppy Harlow is soon going to bid farewell to CNN.

The final remaining 'CNN This Morning' anchor shared in an Instagram post on Friday, April 26, that she is exiting the network. She penned, "I loved every moment @cnn ❤️" alongside photos of herself conducting an interview, the CNN logo on an office wall, and a quote from TV producer Ted Turner.

The 41-year-old became a solo host just months after 'CNN This Morning' premiered with a team of three behind the desk. The original team included her longtime friend Don Lemon and rising political journalist Kaitlan Collins, both of whom exited and moved to new shows later in the evening in 2023.

CNN CEO first announced Poppy Harlow's departure from the network

CNN CEO Mark Thompson was the first to announce Harlow's departure during a network meeting early Friday morning, April 26.

Harlow sent an email to staffers shortly after, writing, "Mark, Amy and the CNN management team have been wonderful and have given me the space to make this decision. I am very grateful to them," as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Poppy Harlow remains CNN's biggest fan

"The nearly two decades since have been a gift," Harlow continued. "I have been inspired by you and learned so much from you – who are (and will remain) dear friends. I grew up here: as a journalist and as a person. I was allowed to stumble, to falter and then to try again with the support and care of this CNN family. This place has shaped me as a leader, taught me resilience, shown me the value of perspective and how to make hard decisions."

"... There’s been plenty written about what’s wrong with journalism, and the challenges our industry faces," she continued. "And it does. But there is also so much right with it. At the heart of everything we do is the pursuit of truth – it is the core of CNN. I remain CNN’s biggest fan and I’ll be watching and cheering you on every day."

In 2023, Lemon was fired from CNN following a confrontational interview with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, writing in an announcement on X at the time, "After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly." Collins later moved to fill Chris Cuomo's 9 pm spot on the network in May 2023.

Poppy Harlow on taking on 'This Morning' solo

Harlow reflected on taking on 'This Morning' solo during a tense period in the network's history. "I'm glad this is happening in my forties, because I have more perspective on things," she said. "I have two kids, so I know what really scary is — what real, real stress is — and this is not that."

"... It's a time of transition," the now-veteran journalist and broadcaster continued, per People. "This was not what we expected, but it also is a moment to iterate and to create something new."

Harlow also opened up during her interview about being inspired by her father's work as a lawyer to pursue journalism. "My dad was a great attorney and a great litigator because he was really curious," she said. "He was always tinkering, always wanting to know more ... and he had a big heart."

"I think you can be an objective journalist and still have empathy and compassion," she added. "...When we launched the show, our tagline for it was 'Bringing the World Home,' and that's something that we really set out to do."

Internet pays tribute to Poppy Harlow

After Harlow shared the departure announcement on Instagram, many of her followers took to the comments section where they paid respect to her.

One follower wrote, "Sadly, CNN cannot seem to get it together. Please let us all know where you land! You’ve always been one of my favorite news anchors! 🙌❤️."

Another commented, "We’ll miss you here Poppy! Look forward to hearing about the next adventure!"

"I hope you are leaving for a better opportunity. You’re a fantastic reporter and correspondent and you’ve done your job with grace and integrity. You will be missed!" added one.

"you are absolutely amazing and will miss seeing you. I appreciate your mentorship, but more your friendship. Will never forget when I had a tough time getting through a segment for personal reasons and you swooped right in and made it seamless. No one even noticed my struggle. But you did. And then you hugged me. I appreciate you girl and know only the best is in store for you," commented one follower.

"They will miss you ❤️❤️ so disappointed in CNN. I haven't watched much of CNN since Cuomo and Lemmon left !!" said one.

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