After 8 years in primetime news and just a short year and five months of hosting his own primetime show at CNN, Don Lemon bids an emotional farewell, and hopes he made us all “proud.”
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Don Lemon Bids An Emotional Farewell To His CNN Primetime Show: ‘I Hope I Made You Proud’
On Friday night (October 7), the 56-year-old CNN anchor reflected on the last eight years in primetime news and gave an emotional speech during the final episode of ‘Don Lemon Tonight.’
Now, it is reported that Lemon is set to join CNN’s morning show as a co-anchor, alongside Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow.
Lemon, who first began working at the network as a correspondent back in 2006, joined as a primetime news host on ‘CNN Tonight’ in 2014. Then in May 2021, he made his debut on his own CNN show ‘Don Lemon Tonight’ — where he promised to “tell the truth, whether you like it or not.”
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During his final episode, Lemon said, “[It’s] not goodbye, but certainly the end of an era as we sign off this last broadcast of ‘Don Lemon Tonight,’ more than eight years, thousands of hours of live TV, historic moments and tough conversations. A lot happened between 10 and midnight, or later.
This is it, the final ‘Don Lemon Tonight.’ It’s a bittersweet moment for me, but it’s not going to be a sad moment. I’m not going to be sad about it.
I’m just going to miss working with all of the great people who really work their butts off every single day to put this show on the air. So tonight, this isn’t about me, this is about you guys who are in the control room and in this studio. This is about you.”
In his final episode, Lemon thanked his colleagues and his team for having his back. Especially, during the tough times, like when his older sister sadly and suddenly passed away in 2018.
Lemon said to his team, “I am immensely grateful to all of you. You will always be my family. We were all in this together.”
And with a final message to his loyal viewers, Lemon concluded:
“I know I was not always perfect because no one is perfect. There are immense pressures that come with this job, and in particular, this time slot at 10 p.m., when people are going to bed. So sometimes, all I could do — I’m gonna be honest with you — is just smile and just get to the commercial break sometimes.
Sometimes it was exhausting because some of the things that we discuss here are so personal and so consuming — all-consuming. So, I hope I made you proud, and I thank you for tuning in all these years, and I hope that you’re going to join me in the morning. So, I will simply say, goodnight and I will see you soon.”
Following Lemon’s emotional farewell, some reports claimed his transition factored in alleged low ratings.
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