About six months after Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly debuted as co-anchors on CNN This Morning, Harlow and Mattingly left the show on Feb. 23, 2024, and many wondered what happened to them. As you’ll see, their departure is part of a broad slate of changes at the news network.
Harlow and Mattingly said little on the air about why their time on the show was ending, but according to AZ Central, they gathered the behind-the-scenes crew together on camera to say goodbye. “As a viewer, you don’t get to see these folks. They are the real deal. They make it happen. You’ve seen their work every single morning. You and we are better for it. You are the best partner in the world, Phil Mattingly. We will see you all soon. That is it for us. Have a great weekend,” Harlow said.
New CNN boss promised a “revolution”
Precipitating the decision to end CNN This Morning, freshly-minted CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in a January staff memo, “It’s time for a revolution” to combat poor ratings. Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly’s show started under the reign of Thompson’s predecessor, Chris Licht, in 2022 to better compete for morning viewership with shows like TODAY and Good Morning America, and Harlow and Mattingly took over as anchors in August 2023, CNN reported.
Although Harlow and Mattingly will no longer host the show, CNN This Morning will continue, just not in New York. CNN says that the network morning program will no longer be produced in the city, but Harlow and Mattingly’s old show will move to Washington D.C. and air from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., with a new anchor, Kasie Hunt. Hunt had previously anchored Early Start, now called CNN This Morning.
Is Phil Mattingly leaving CNN?
In the memo announcing the morning shakeup, CNN CEO Mark Thompson said that Harlow and Mattingly would have new roles at the network. About a week after Harlow and Mattingly’s final morning sign-off, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Mattingly would cover Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, become the network’s chief domestic correspondent and fill-in anchor.
In a statement announcing Mattingly’s new position, Thompson said, “Phil Mattingly is one of the strongest political journalists and anchors we have at CNN … He’s the perfect choice to become CNN Anchor, Chief Domestic Correspondent and to play a central role in our coverage of one of the most momentous election cycles in American history.”
What happened to Poppy Harlow?
As for Harlow, at the time of this writing, her new role at CNN, if any, was unknown. Based on her social media, she appeared to be still with the network when Mattingly’s new position was announced. As news spread of Mattingly’s new role, Harlow wrote on X, “The best with the best! Bravo @Phil_Mattingly.” Given Harlow’s long track record with CNN, her new job will likely be announced soon.
