Janice Dean's Health Exit

MS and Early Mornings Forced Dean's Hand

Dean was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 20 years ago. MS is a disease that attacks the nervous system and drains energy. She told viewers that the daily grind of an early morning show had become too much. "2:30 a.m. is really hard when you have MS," she said, according to NWF Daily News.

Her doctors urged her to step away from the demanding schedule. She said leaving was not an easy choice. She described the process as a kind of grief — walking away from a role she had held for more than two decades. But she said her health had to come first.

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22 Years of Milestones, Live on Air

Dean joined Fox News and built a career that went far beyond reading weather maps. The farewell montage showed her reporting from outside the Fox building, riding the Fox Weather vehicle, and covering major events. Those events included the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby, and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, according to The Ledger.

She also shared deeply personal moments on air. Viewers watched her get engaged, announce pregnancies, and open up about her MS diagnosis. In her farewell, she also referenced the deaths of her in-laws during the COVID pandemic — a loss she had spoken about publicly at the time.

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Husband and Family Anchored Her Through It All

Dean gave special thanks to her husband, Sean Newman, a retired Battalion Chief for the New York City Fire Department. She credited his support as a key reason she was able to keep going for as long as she did. She called him her rock throughout her illness and her career, according to Daily Commercial.

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Colleagues and Viewers React to an Emotional Exit

The farewell segment on Fox & Friends drew tears from Dean and her co-hosts alike. Colleagues gathered to say goodbye on air. Viewers flooded social media with messages of support after her June announcement. The response showed the deep connection she built with her audience over 22 years, according to St. Augustine Record.

Dean said she hoped to focus on her health, her family, and possibly writing — she is already a published author. She did not rule out staying connected to her audience in other ways. But she was clear: the era of 2:30 a.m. alarms is over.

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