The Stunning Transformation Of Robin Meade

You likely recognize Robin Meade from her tenure as an HLN news anchor. "Morning Express with Robin Meade" gave viewers an informative, entertaining, and comforting way to start their day with Meade as the sunshiney host. Since the show has stopped airing, many fans have missed the news anchor and wonder what's happened to Robin Meade since the show ended. Fortunately, she's easy to catch up with on her social media, where she frequently shares family, life, and career updates. It's also where you can catch a glimpse of her still spending time with the "Morning Express" cast. 

But even if you are familiar with Meade's work and follow her social media, that's only part of her story. The popular TV reporter grew up far away from where she eventually made a name for herself. Even "Morning Express" fans may not know about her show choir, pageant, or early reporting days. Her journey from a small-town girl to a multi-talented celebrity makes Meade all the more impressive.

Although she became a successful media personality, life was not always easy for Robin Meade and her family. Meade was born on April 21, 1969, in New London, Ohio, a small town that boasts just over 2,000 residents. In an article Meade wrote for CNN in 2018 that spotlighted a charity for underprivileged kids, she opened up about her own family's history with poverty. Her father, Linro Meade, grew up in a very large and poor family. For a time they didn't have running water, and he often had to wear the same shirt and pants throughout the whole week. "I recognize I may have a soft heart for the cause because my dad grew up in a time of dire poverty in the hills of Eastern Kentucky," the journalist explained. 

Robin herself had a more comfortable childhood than her father, but her early life was not without its challenges. She once revealed that she was born premature and that doctors did not expect her to live much less to thrive in the way she has.

Robin Meade grew up in a close-knit family with her parents, her sister Tonda, and her little brother Kevin, who she shares a birthday with, all be it two years apart. The Meade clan seems to have stayed close to this day. Robin frequently shares photos with her siblings and parents with her social media followers and always remembers to make special posts on birthdays and other occassions. 

She puts her writing skills to good use on Father's and Mother's Day, penning sweet messages to her parents to let them know how much she appreciates them. In her 2024 Father's Day post on Instagram, Robin shared pictures of her father as a young man and a few from more recent years. She described her dad, lovingly saying, "[He is] still the patriarch who makes you tear up when he's standing in the window waving goodbye as you drive away from your childhood home. Still the father we are so grateful to get to enjoy day after day!" 

Robin left a similarly heartfelt message when she posted for Mother's Day on Instagram in 2019, writing, "Happy Mother's Day to every mom, especially my own wonderful, selfless, giving, caring, sharing, funny, self-deprecating, beautiful mother. You still put your children and grandchildren first, before you ever think of yourself. I am grateful for every second we get together." 

According to Robin Meade's school friend, it's not at all shocking to see who Meade grew up to be. Meade's old friend, Mary Ann Wilson, told HLN (via Facebook), "I think we were about 6 or 7 the first time we played news, and she was always the anchor, and I was her weather girl." Wilson went on to say, "I knew from a very young age that this was what Robin was destined to do."

But, for a time, Meade was less certain. During a Q&A on HLN, she said she made the choice to become a journalist at the end of high school under hasty circumstances. After taking an aptitude test, which said she was good at reading, retention, and writing, she was asked what field she wanted to go into. "And there was no multiple choice," Meade joked. "I was like, 'What? I don't know!'" The answer didn't come to her until she looked at one of her friend's sheet. She said the friend had received similar results on her aptitude assessment and had said that she wanted to become a broadcast news journalist. "And I went, 'That's a brilliant idea!'" she remembered. So, it seems we have her childhood friends to thank for encouraging Meade's passion for journalism. 

Along with her aptitude for storytelling, Robin Meade has always been quite the performer. It's likely part of the reason she became such a charismatic on-air news host. Throughout high school, Meade participated in cheer, pep band, and show choir. Through her many extracurriculars, she honed her talents and stage presence as a young girl.

She used those skills to compete in scholarship pageants. In 1992, she was crowned Miss Ashland, Ohio. She competed again the following year, showing off her singing skills as part of the talent section and ultimately winning the title of Miss Ohio 1993. Speaking to the Toledo Blade, Meade said, "Even if I hadn't won, I still would have enjoyed it ... I think I was more ready for this than I have been in the past. This time, I was just Robin Michelle Meade, and it worked."

Although her many extracurriculars and performances may at first appear like distractions, Meade kept her eye on the prize. Not only did the pageant win her the title, but she also earned a $10,000 scholarship to bring her closer to achieving her dreams in broadcast journalism. 

While some celebrities, like Dax Shepherd and Lisa Kudrow's college majors may surprise you, others take a much more straightforward path, and Robin Meade is one of the latter. After high school, Meade stayed in her home state, Ohio, and continued her studies at Malone College, where she got her degree in Radio and TV Production, Programming, and Performance. Meade describes herself as a "TV geek" while she was in school. She was committed to becoming a broadcast journalist and didn't want anything to distract her from her path or her studies. 

Looking back on her college days, the now successful reporter said that a college professor was one of the first influential people who she felt really believed in and pushed her to be who she is today. "One of my first professors in this field was Dr. Kim Fitz," Meade told Conn Jackson. "And I remember her being the person who would say, 'I think you could make it in this field. I think you should try it.'" That belief helped push Meade even more in her studies and to eventually pursue her career in broadcast. Her professor also shared a word of warning for Meade not to give up on reporting and end up on a TV game show. "What I remember her saying was, 'Don't let me catch you turning letters on ... a game show,'" Meade laughed.

Robin Meade met her husband, Tim Yeager, in college. Meade shared the start of their love story while on "Concept Hosted by Conn Jackson." She said that she was surprised when Yeager first approached her. "He was hugely intimidating to me because he was just Joe jock. I'm sure that women just fell at his feet." But, despite her initial nerves, Meade agreed to go get ice cream for their first date. They continued seeing each other after that, and the college sweethearts got married in 1993.

Throughout their marriage, the pair have had very different schedules. Due to Meade's morning broadcast, she would go to bed before Yeager got home. "We actually see each other Friday night, Saturday, and half of Sunday, and that's it. I say it makes for a great marriage," Meade joked to HLN. But, regardless of how unconventional, their setup has worked for them for decades.

The pair celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 2018 and are still going strong. To mark the milestone, Meade shared a photo on Instagram from their wedding day. In the photo, the pair are all smiles, walking down the aisle arm-in-arm. Meade makes a beautiful bride in her '90s-style wedding dress, complete with iconic puff sleeves — a wedding dress style we need to make a comeback. In the caption, Meade joked, "Funny how we've been married for so long and yet neither one of us has gotten any older."

After being crowned Miss Ohio and graduating college, it was time for Robin Meade to make her dreams a reality. But success didn't happen overnight. Before becoming a well-known name in TV journalism, she had to work her way up through smaller news channels in several cities. Right out of college, she started working at WMFD-TV in Mansfield, Ohio, doing TV and radio news. Her first job wasn't too far from where she grew up, but she'd soon go much further. She then worked at WJW Cleveland, WSVN in Miami, WCMH in Columbus, and WMAQ in Chicago. Although she wasn't yet running her own series, her career was following a good trajectory, and she was on the path of doing exactly what she'd set out to do years before.

In 2016, Meade sat down with Heart of Ohio Magazine to discuss her life and career. Looking back at the early days, she said, "Let me count the cities. From Mansfield to Cleveland, Columbus, Miami and Chicago. There were more than a few stops before I landed at the CNN Center in Atlanta 12 years ago. I've learned so much about my field, and the world around us, but even more about myself."

Robin Meade's infectious, bubbly personality made her someone that people were excited to turn on the news and wake up with. It's strange to imagine someone like that struggling, but Meade has opened up about her own difficulties with mental health. In 2009, she released a book titled "Morning Sunshine! How to Radiate Confidence and Feel It Too." The self-help book dived into her personal experience with panic attacks and how she was able to overcome them to continue her on-camera career. 

Explaining her experience on HLN, Meade said that her panic attacks started after a career setback when she was working in Chicago. At the time, she'd been hosting the morning show, but when she was moved to the weekend slot, she viewed the change as a failure and had a hard time overcoming the anxiety that came with that.

"I started having panic attacks on the air," Meade recalled. "And it's kind of hard to do the live news when you can't breathe." Panic attacks are a common mental health issue that can manifest differently for different people. At first, Meade didn't want to let anyone know about the struggles she was having, but her husband convinced her that she needed to open up to get help. "I eventually did talk to his chiropractor of all people, who taught me to do a mind flip. I had to learn it then when I thought that I was failing," Meade said.

Robin Meade had been working in television for several years when she got the opportunity of a lifetime. In 2005, her show "Morning Express with Robin Meade" premiered on HLN with her as the host. She'd started at HLN a few years earlier. Her first day on air was 9/11, and her most difficult day as a journalist. But despite that start, she continued with the company and became a beloved face in the morning news, eventually landing her own show. 

The morning show offered a friendly place for viewers to start their mornings and get the news they needed. Meade covered a range of topics, including entertainment, sports, finance, news, and the weather, along with the rest of the cast: Bob Van Dillen, Jennifer Westhoven, Melissa Knowles, and Andy Scholes. 

The show ran for several years, always with Meade at the center, keeping it fun and approachable. "She's so darn good," CNN executive vice president, Ken Jautz, told AJC. "She's a burst of energy every morning and she can connect with viewers like nobody else. Her longevity is a result of authenticity and hard work." Even when the network restructured in 2018, they kept Meade in her morning slot because of how much viewers had grown to love her and the show. 

Robin Meade has always been committed to her path as a TV reporter, but that doesn't mean she forgot her other passions. As a young girl in church, throughout high school, and in her pageant days, Meade had a talent for singing, and she never let that go. "I thought that everybody could sing," Meade told HLN, "And I thought that it was natural to be up there singing and not being nervous ... I'm lucky in that I get to do journalism for my first job, but I also get to do music on the side."

Along with her work as a news anchor, Meade decided to pursue her love for music as a singer-songwriter. Her first album, "Brand New Day," was released in 2011, reaching No. 24 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Her second album, "Count On Me," had 12 tracks and also appeared on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. She's also had the opportunity to work and perform with impressive musicians like Jim Brickman. When performing "Welcome Home" with Brickman, the pair got a standing ovation at the Grand Ole Opry. "I almost felt like that performance took on wings of its own, and I was just along for the ride," she told Making Music. "I'm completely grateful for the opportunity. It's pretty big for someone who's a news anchor."

It's always a sad day when favorite shows get canceled. To the dismay of the cast, crew, and loyal audience, "Morning Express with Robin Meade" came to an end in 2022. The show was canceled due to budget cuts at CNN. The decision was reached to end live programming at HLN, and as a result, "Morning Express" was cut from the network. After her long run as the show's anchor, Meade had to say goodbye to the show that changed her life. 

To sign off her last show, Robin Meade had the cast and crew assemble on the set of "Morning Express" to give them a special thank you. She took time to point out how much work went on behind the scenes to make the show what it was. "The news does not write itself, edit itself, produce itself, direct itself, light itself, executive produce itself, or executive assist itself overnight. Without you, there was never going to be an us," Meade said during her final segment. "Doing this show with you has been the joy of my life." She went on to thank the viewers, saying it was because of them a "kid from the middle of a cornfield" could achieve her dreams.

Although "Morning Express with Robin Meade" was canceled, it was due to no fault of Meade or any of the rest of the cast. The show's coming to a close in no way discredited the work and dedication she put into it over the years. Her fans and colleagues still recognize her as a talented reporter and host, and in 2023, she had the special honor of having her work recognized by the Atlanta Press Club when they put her in their hall of fame. 

Meade shared a photo on Instagram holding her award alongside her fellow inductees. "None of this would have happened without YOU, the viewer," she wrote in the caption. "Thank you to the @atlpressclub for putting me into the Hall Of Fame with 4 amazing journalists. I'm so moved my friend @drsanjaygupta took time to introduce me on stage." The post also included photos of friends and colleagues who came to the event to celebrate her. "I'm humbled they carved time out of their schedules to attend," Meade wrote.