Ashleigh Banfield is leaving HLN. The Crime and Justice presenter is departing the network along with Carole Costello and Michaela Pereira.
According to Variety, the three news anchors have been cut as the network’s lineup of shows were not performing as expected.
To fill the gaps, Morning Express with Robin Meade will be extended to go for six hours, and On The Story with Erica Hill will be expanded to run for three hours.
Ashleigh Banfield announced she was leaving yesterday as she wrapped up her final show. On Twitter, she told how she had just finished shooting last night when she learned of another bomb scare in the Time Warner Center, where CNN is located. The building had been evacuated earlier this week due to a suspicious package that was later determined to be an explosive device.
But what does this mean for Ashleigh? Her fans were upset with the news that her show was done, and some people said they would now stop watching HLN altogether. Others hoped she would be given another program on the network.
Just wrapped my final show here at #TimeWarnerCenter only to find out there is yet another #bombscare in the building tonight… We are fine here at @CNN and have not been evacuated..But waiting for more developments.
— Ashleigh Banfield (@TVAshleigh) October 26, 2018
Banfield gained notice when she covered the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011, for MSNBC, and she has previously worked for both CourtTV and ABC News.
Over the past couple of months, she’s covered the Chris Watts case in detail, breaking various stories on her show, including the fact that Watts had no will in her name at the time of her death.
It’s not yet known what Ashleigh will be doing next. She didn’t reveal what her next step would be now that she’s no longer with HLN, and her LinkedIn profile doesn’t reveal any major changes, and in fact still lists her as an employee of ABC News.
Back in August, she revealed she would be joining the American Red Cross Greater New York Board of Directors, though as a voluntary position.
“We are so honored to have Ashleigh join our board and become a trained volunteer,” Josh Lockwood, CEO, American Red Cross Greater New York Region said in a statement. “The same tenacity and intellect that she brings to her job as a journalist will be an asset to the Red Cross as we continue to modernize and transform to meet the ever-changing needs of those in need down the street, across the country, and around the world.”
Ashleigh also spoke out about her decision at the time, revealing that she was excited to give back to the community, especially after she had reported on stories that required the help of the Red Cross, including 9/11 and the Boston Marathon Bombing.
“Giving back to the community is important to me. I have seen the important work of the Red Cross in the field as I reported on stories from 9/11 to the Boston Marathon Bombing. The compassion and spirit of the Red Cross workforce is infectious and I look forward to working alongside them to help deliver the lifesaving mission of this American icon,” she explained at the time.
While Ashleigh hasn’t shared her future plans, we can’t wait to see what she does next. It’s always possible that she will follow in Nancy Grace’s footsteps, another former HLN news anchor who covered crime. She launched own crime podcast shortly after leaving the network back in 2016.
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