Poppy Harlow Announces Departure from CNN, Says She Remains Network's 'Biggest Fan'

The journalist is leaving the network after nearly two decades, and just two years after beginning her tenure on 'CNN This Morning'

Poppy Harlow's tenure at CNN is coming to an end.

On Friday, April 26, the last remaining CNN This Morning anchor shared in an Instagram post that she is exiting the network, writing, "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.

Harlow, 41, 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.

Per the Hollywood Reporter, CNN CEO Mark Thompson was the first to announce Harlow's departure during a network meeting early Friday morning. Harlow sent an email to staffers shortly after, writing, "Mark, [producer Amy Entelis] and the CNN management team have been wonderful and have given me the space to make this decision."

Related: Poppy Harlow Is Guided by Lessons from Family as She Leads 'CNN This Morning' into New Chapter (Exclusive)

"The nearly two decades since have been a gift," she 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 finished. "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 (formerly Twitter) 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 p.m. spot on the network in May 2023.

Related: Poppy Harlow Knows What She's Looking for in Her Next 'CNN This Morning' Co-Anchor (Exclusive)

Speaking previously with PEOPLE in July 2023, 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," Harlow 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. "This was not what we expected, but it also is a moment to iterate and to create something new."

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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."

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Read the original article on People.