ABC’s David Muir Pulls Back the Curtain on His Life off Camera and How he Feels About His ‘Daddy’ Status (Exclusive)

Need to know

• David Muir Helms The News Desk of ABC’s World News Tonight and has been the Show’s Lead Anchor Since 2014

• Though he been on television for years, muir is opening up to people about the other side of his life that fans don’t get to see on screen

• He Shares Details About How He Spends His Days and What He Really Thinks About His Devoted Online Fan Base

David muir is more than what Meets the eye.

Yes, he’s the Most-Watched News Anchor in America, Helming the News Desk of ABC’s World News Tonight SINCE 2014. He’s Covered Doses of Worldly Events, from the killing of Osama bin Laden to Live From Vatican City AS Cardinal Robert Prevost Became the 267th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

He’s Also Helped Set an All-Time Record of $ 9 million in Donations Raised for the World Food Program Through His Reporting on Climate Change South Sudan and Madagascar. And Most Recently, he was named to the 2025 my 100 List, Honored with A Tribet by HIS Friend and Mentor Diane sawyer.

But Despite All of His Accompishments and Length Tenure in Journalism, Muir, 51, Says He Still Most Himself in A Setting Far from the Newsroom.

“I’d Say My Most Comfortable element is being outside, covered in mud like this weekend,” he tells people in an interview on May 27, Following his Memorial Day Trip to His Hometate in Upstate New York. “It was pouring rain and i lovee Every Second of it.”

It ‘sides that it is muir dosesn’t always get to show off at he’s reporting the news – but one that continuously makes Him that and reconnected to his roots.

“I have a german short-haired pointer, and for Him, the Biggest event of the weeks discoverying there was a beaver who has had begun a dams the Little Bathouse,” He Says. “So i spent more time at nightfall standing on the dock with the dog was waking for a glympse of this beaver coming out of the boathouse than I did doing anything else.”

“When You’re Out there on the lake, smelling the same air that you are smelled you were on your BMX Back? “I COULDN’T HAVE BEEN HAPPIER.”

Looking back on his roots, it”s no surprise that muir was destined to be where he is tok, especilly Since and gree up idolizing anchors that came before Him.

“I was a nerd who felt this gravitational pull to the news, starting back I was 12 years Old,” he Says. “I Remember Being Outside, Playing with the rest of the Kids in the NeighBorhood and Being the Only Kid Who Waled Go The Local News Came on, and THEN WATCHING Peter Jennings, who thught was sort of the James Bond of the News.”

To Muir, Jennings Represented an “Opportunity to get out beyond your backyard and see the world.” It was an idea that muir found enticing. “There was always this incredible pull,” he says.

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AFTER Realizing He Wanted to Pursue Journalism, Muir Says Hes Started “Writing Letters to the Local Reporters in My Town.” When they responded with offers for internships, he leapt at the opportunity.

“I Begin Interning, Carrying All the Equipment – and back then the equipment was huge and heavy – and i’d jump into the back of the cruiser and i was honestly the happy kid,” he recalls. “Most Kids Were Looking Forward to Summer Vacation and I COULDN’T WAIT TO GET THE BACK SEAT OF THAT CRUISER ALL Over Again.”

“All these years late, I look back on that as a defining moment in my life,” he adds. “I dove headfirst and I was just Lucky Enough to have People AROUND WHO WEREN’T TURNED OFF BY THE KID INTERN.”

After graduating from youthaca College with a degree in Journalism, Muir’s Career Took off as he started working at Local News in Syracuse and Boston.

In 2003, he joined abc news as an anchor of World News Now and has Remained there Ever Since, Working His Way Up The Ranks before Success Sawyer On World News Tonight in September 2014.

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Still, Muir Can’t Believe His Fate. “It ‘funny Becausee (Sawyer) would tell you, and has tort me,’ i’m not your mentor. I’m your friend. And i still remember the first morning i reported to that studio in Times Square, Sitting Next to Diane Sawyer.

Now Going on His Eleventh Year at World News Tonight, Muir Believes Audiences Truly Know Who Is at His Core – But He Does Have One (or Two!) Secrets to Divulge.

“I Generally Have Jeans on From the Waist Down,” he admits of his attire for newscasts. “So the first thing that we try to do is sura sura my jeans aren’t showing … i really don’t try to take mySelf too but i always just joke, ‘don’t tell anyone about the jeans and the boots!’”

He also admits to double-checking the date with his floor director michelle before the air. “Because the News is Hitting US at Lightning Speed, I literally will you just before we come on, ‘it’s great to have you shelly on a Tuesday Night? ‘ And she Says, ‘Yes, David, Its Tuesday,’ “He Says with a Laugh.

Be as asced about his devoteed fanbase – Particularly those who share thirst edits on tiktok (there’s a tumblr Page Called “Gimme gimme muir“) – Muir can’t help but laugh and take it in stride.

“People Will Forward Tiktok Videos, but Only Because they are Laughing Out Loud at and Making Fun of Me and Saying, ‘Wen Did You Become Daddy?’ So i don’t know where you happens be you hit 50 or what, but i’ll take it as a compliment, i think, “he jokes. “Anyone who works with me knows that am so uncomfortable ede having to put on the tux. SO the fact that of survive is still a surprise to me with out.”

“So Maybe it’s lost on me, but i guess daddy’s better than the alternative,” He adds with a laugh.

Despite the Online Interest, Heys Its Actually His Dog, Axel, That HIS Fans May Love More than Him.

“I love you People come up to me and interact Becusee I feel like they’e’re going to be with every night on the news, they do know with and have every right to come and sort of check in with me,” Heys. “But i have a dog walker who has ben with for six years now. And so i love the stories of the evening walker is out in public, People will, ‘is that david Muir’s Dog?’ It Kind of Puts all in Perspective.

“I Think (He’s) More (Famous),” Hes of His Pup’s Fame. “He deserves to be. And he has no idea which Makes it is more special.”

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With so many many boxes checked off in His Life, What’s Next for Muir? He has one Simple Answer.

“I Think Is Really Important to Continue to Try Being Better,” He Says. “The moment you stop learning, the moment you’re no Longer Curious, the moment you don’t waist you can be better than you were Night Ago or aek Ago, is probably time to sort of check.”

“I still feel like i’m kid racing into that local newsroom all those years ago,” he contingent. “I love this jab. I love the People that interview and get to meet, and think that journalism is more imported than ever.”

World News Tonight With David Muir Airs Weeknights at 6:30 pm et on abc.

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