Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes Reflect on ‘Handsy’ Red Carpet Debut

Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes were “proud” to finally make their red carpet debut as a couple in the wake of their cheating scandal.

During the Tuesday, December 12, episode of their “Amy & T.J.” podcast, the twosome reflected on getting to “reclaim” the narrative surrounding their relationship one year after news broke of their affair. “We flew out to L.A. proudly,” Robach, 50, said. “Didn’t have to duck paparazzi, walked right off that plane holding hands.”

Robach said it felt “amazing” to be out in public with Holmes, 46, without shame. “It’s funny how the smallest things suddenly feel so great, and that was one of them,” she added.

Holmes explained that the pair had largely “been avoiding LAX” since November 2022 due to the media frenzy their relationship ignited. This time, however, the former GMA3 coanchors felt differently. “We were proud stepping off the plane,” he said. “Take our picture!”

The pair traveled to the West Coast for KIIS-FM’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2023 on December 1 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. The event marked the first time Robach and Holmes officially stepped out together as a couple.

“It was no small thing for us,” Holmes reflected on Tuesday, as Robach noted that they “didn’t mind” cameras capturing their chemistry on the red carpet.

“We had fun,” she continued. “We were just being us. Apparently that means being handsy and a lot of PDA, but you know what? We’re in love. We’re happy. I don’t know how else to act.”

Robach didn’t think their appearance was “that bad” in terms of PDA, teasing, “We just held hands and laughed!”

The duo wore coordinating black outfits on the red carpet, with Robach rocking a fitted leather mini dress and black ankle boots. Holmes donned a velvet blazer, black pants and a crisp white shirt. They weren’t shy about showcasing their affection while cozying up for photos outside the venue. At one point, Holmes whispered into Robach’s ear with his hands resting on her hips and she giggled.

Holmes confessed on the podcast that he has “a bad habit” of letting his hands drift a little “lower than the waist” when he puts his arms around Robach. “I’m trying to break the habit publicly,” he joked.

While reflecting on their milestone moment, Robach told listeners that it “felt good to be free of hiding and running and avoiding” the spotlight after the chaos of their cheating scandal.

Robach and Holmes, who worked together at Good Morning America for several years, were first photographed getting cozy outside of the office in November 2022. At the time, both were still married to their respective partners, Andrew Shue and Marilee Fiebig. ABC swiftly pulled Robach and Holmes from the air as the drama unfolded, and Us Weekly broke the news in January that the pair were “out” at the network. Their exits were officially announced later that month.

Holmes and Robach have since ended their marriages and have slowly been giving more insight into their romance. When their podcast debuted on December 5, the pair attempted to share their side of the story — and claimed they were already separated from Fiebig and Shue when their relationship began.

“It was very clear to anyone who knew me that I was in the middle of a divorce,” Robach said. “T.J. is a much more private person than me and just chose to keep that to himself. But it was hard because anyone who was a viewer or anyone outside of a very small circle didn’t know that either one of us were getting divorced.”

Hours after the first episode of “Amy & T.J.” dropped, multiple outlets reported that Shue and Fiebig sparked a romance of their own while dealing with the fallout from their exes’ affair. The pair have not addressed their relationship status, but they were spotted for the first time together on Friday, December 8, while heading out of New York City for a weekend getaway.