Amy Robach and TJ Holmes reflect on ‘Handsy’ red carpet debut

Amy Robach And TJ 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 & TJ” podcast, the pair reflected on how to “reclaim” the narrative surrounding their relationship a year after news of their affair broke. “We proudly flew to LA,” said Robach, 50. “I didn’t have to avoid the paparazzi, I walked off the plane hand in hand.”

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

Holmes explained that the couple had largely “avoided” LAX since November 2022 due to the media frenzy their relationship had sparked. This time, however, the first GMA3 coaches thought differently. “We were proud when we got off the plane,” he said. “Take our picture!”

The pair traveled to the West Coast on December 1 for KIIS-FM’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2023 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, while Robach noted that they “didn’t mind” cameras capturing their chemistry on the red carpet.

“We had fun,” she continued. “We were just ourselves. Apparently that means being handy and lots of PDA, but you know what? We are in love. Were happy. I don’t know how else to act.”

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

Related: Couples who made their red carpet debut at an awards ceremony

Celebrities know how important it is to make their relationships public, especially if they do it in a high-profile way. For example, Justin Hartley and Sofia Pernas made a splash at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards when they debuted their matching rings, a year after they were first linked in May 2020. Us Weekly confirmed […]

The duo wore matching black outfits on the red carpet, with Robach wearing a figure-hugging leather mini dress and black ankle boots. Holmes wore a velvet blazer, black trousers and a crisp white shirt. They weren’t shy about showing off their affection as they happily took photos outside the venue. At one point, Holmes whispered in Robach’s ear as his hands rested on her hips, and she giggled.

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

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

Robach and Holmes, who worked together at Good morning America were first photographed socializing outside the office in November 2022. At the time, both were still married to their respective partners, Andrew Shue And Marilee Fiebig. ABC quickly pulled Robach and Holmes off the air as the drama unfolded, and We weekly broke news in January that the couple had “broke up” at the network. Their departure was officially announced later that month.

Related: Amy Robach and TJ Holmes’ candid quotes about each other

Amy Robach and TJ Holmes first connected after being tapped to headline GMA3: What You Need to Know in 2020. “I had done segments with Dr. [Jennifer] Ashton, who I would always ask for her expertise. We worked together almost every day before we were on TV together,” says Holmes […]

Holmes and Robach have since ended their marriage and have slowly opened up more about their romance. When their podcast debuted on December 5, the couple attempted to share their side of the story — claiming that 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. “TJ is a much more private person than I am and 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 one of us was getting divorced.”

Hours after the first episode of ‘Amy & TJ’ dropped, multiple media outlets reported that Shue and Fiebig had rekindled their own romance while dealing with the fallout from their exes’ affair. The couple hasn’t discussed their relationship status, but they were spotted together for the first time on Friday, December 8, while heading out of New York City for a weekend getaway.