Good Morning America Just Revealed A Major Weekend Shake-Up — And Viewers Are About To See Some Very Different Faces

Good Morning America is heading into a new chapter on weekend mornings, with ABC News announcing a significant update to the team that viewers will see on their screens.

The network has confirmed that two familiar ABC News faces are stepping into new roles on the weekend edition of the popular morning show, while another longtime broadcaster is also joining the team in a new position.

The announcement, made Wednesday, September 9, has given the weekend lineup a noticeably different look — although some of the faces will be very familiar to regular ABC News viewers.

And there is more to the change than simply adding new presenters.

A New Era For GMA Weekend

ABC News is expanding the Good Morning America Weekend team with two new cohosts: senior political correspondent Rachel Scott and correspondent Rhiannon Ally.

Scott will join veteran weekend coanchor Whit Johnson for the Saturday edition of GMA, beginning September 12.

Johnson has been part of the weekend GMA lineup since 2018, and his role is not disappearing. Instead, the new arrangement will see him continue alongside Scott while also maintaining his Saturday duties on World News Tonight.

For Sunday viewers, meanwhile, Ally will join Gio Benitez, who has served as a weekend GMA coanchor since 2023.

The result is a refreshed weekend team featuring four ABC News personalities who will now share responsibilities across the network’s weekend programming.

But that is only part of the update.

The New Faces Aren’t Exactly New To ABC

While viewers may see Scott and Ally in different positions on GMA, neither is a newcomer to ABC News.

Scott’s career at the network began in 2016, when she joined as a production associate. Since then, she has steadily moved through the organization and established herself as one of ABC News’ senior political correspondents.

Her work has included reporting from Washington and covering major political developments, while she has also interviewed world leaders and reported on major breaking-news events.

She previously worked as a full-time producer for GMA Digital, making her latest role something of a return to the program in a very different capacity.

Scott will continue her political reporting duties while also coanchoring GMA Saturday from New York.

That means viewers will not be losing her political coverage simply because she is taking on the new weekend role.

Rhiannon Ally Also Gets A Bigger Weekend Role

Rhiannon Ally has likewise built up considerable experience across ABC News since joining the network in 2021.

She has worked across several ABC News programs and platforms, most recently serving as coanchor of World News Now and Good Morning America First Look.

Now, she is moving into the Sunday edition of GMA, where she will work alongside Gio Benitez.

For regular viewers, the change could feel significant because Ally is already a recognizable presence on ABC’s morning programming.

Her move gives the weekend edition another experienced broadcaster while creating a new on-air partnership with Benitez.

There’s Another Important Change

The weekend lineup is also getting a new meteorologist.

Leslie Lopez is joining the ABC News family after spending a decade at ABC-owned station KABC-TV.

Her arrival gives the revamped weekend team another familiar broadcast personality and adds a fresh voice to the weather coverage viewers rely on throughout Saturday and Sunday mornings.

So while the biggest attention may be on the new cohosting arrangement, the network is effectively reshaping the entire weekend presentation.

The Four Anchors Will Also Have Another Job

Perhaps one of the more interesting parts of ABC News’ announcement is that the new arrangement will not be limited to Good Morning America.

Johnson, Scott, Benitez and Ally will also anchor ABC News Live Weekend on a rotating basis.

The weekend broadcasts will begin at 10 a.m. ET on ABC News’ 24/7 streaming news channel, available through Disney+, Hulu and the ABC News app.

That means viewers could potentially see the same familiar faces appearing across multiple ABC News platforms throughout the weekend.

According to GMA senior executive producer Simone Swink, the new structure is designed to give the audience a stronger weekend team while also allowing those personalities to appear more frequently on weekday broadcasts.

Why The Change Is Getting Attention

Weekend morning television has a very different rhythm from weekday news.

Viewers are often looking for a mixture of breaking news, weather, interviews, lifestyle coverage and lighter stories — all while keeping up with major developments happening around the world.

ABC News appears to be taking the opportunity to build a more flexible team capable of moving between those different formats.

Rather than simply having separate faces assigned to individual programs, the new setup gives the four anchors a wider presence across the network’s weekend coverage.

And for viewers, that could mean seeing some familiar personalities in places they may not expect.

September 12 Marks The Beginning

The first major change arrives quickly.

Rachel Scott is scheduled to join Whit Johnson on GMA Saturday beginning September 12, while Rhiannon Ally will take her place alongside Gio Benitez on Sunday’s edition.

Leslie Lopez will also become part of the weekend weather team.

For ABC News, it represents a substantial refresh of the weekend operation without completely abandoning the personalities viewers already know.

And with the four anchors taking on responsibilities across both GMA Weekend and ABC News Live Weekend, the network appears to be creating a more interconnected weekend news lineup.

The faces may be familiar.

But the way viewers see them could be about to change considerably.