Sam Champion Reflects on ‘Giving Up’ His Day Off to Appear on ‘GMA’: ‘We Work So Hard’

Sam Champion has been hard at work filling in on Good Morning America this week. The meteorologist revealed that his duties on the program have forced him to cut his weekend plans short.

“Of course I’m jumping down, I’m going to Miami right after the show to be with [husband Rubem Robierb] this weekend,” Sam, 62, told his followers in an Instagram Live session on Friday, March 8.

“This is a quick weekend because I’m coming in Sunday back to New York because it’s Oscars,” he explained. “Getting ready for the big show on Good Morning America on Monday morning.”

As comments continued to flood in during the video, the weathercaster explained that he would be sacrificing his day off to prepare for the morning talk show.

“I’m giving up my day off for this,” Sam told his followers. “Come on, we’re going to have fun, right?”

Sam previously served as a full-time member of the GMA and ABC News teams. He left the network for The Weather Channel in 2013. Ginger Zee replaced him as the chief meteorologist on the morning talk show. But after his stint at The Weather Channel came to an end in 2016, he was welcomed back to GMA on a fill-in basis. For the past two weeks, fans have seen him fill in for absent hosts in a number of segments.

“I feel there’s a lot of heat for this. Tell me how you guys feel. Do you feel that this Oscars season has gotten more buzz than the year’s past?” he asked his followers. “I kind of feel it. The industry is always interested in the Oscars, but it seems like more people are interested in it this year. So, I hope people are going to be watching [host Jimmy Kimmel] and the preshows. The red carpet shows will be fun too.”

Sam also gave his fans some inside scoop on what goes on behind the scenes at GMA. One fan commented, telling Sam to have a cup of coffee since his workday starts so early in the morning. The meteorologist admitted that the coffee at the GMA studio is very strong.

“As soon as I get into the studio, I will grab a cup of rocket fuel,” he joked. “That coffee in Good Morning America is thick rocket fuel. You have to want to drink coffee to drink that coffee.”

Sam explained that he does not usually carry a coffee mug with him to GMA because he usually heads to the airport right after the show to travel to Miami. He and Rubem, 47, split their time between Miami, New York City and Brazil.

“We work so hard during the week these days that if you have the weekends off, you are duty bound to enjoy it and find something you want to do and plan it,” he said before signing off and heading into the GMA studio.