Diane Sawyer Bids 'Good Morning America' a Tearful Goodbye

After more than 10 years and 2,880 episodes as the face of morning television on ABC, Diane Sawyer woke up the nation one last time today with a heartfelt "good morning America."

Sawyer's final appearance as co-host of 'Good Morning America' was a touching send-off for the legendary anchorwoman, who leaves the show to take over the reins of the network's primetime news platform, 'World News.' Stepping in next week to fill her chair is political wonk George Stephanopoulos, whose appointment ends weeks of speculation about the future of the show.After more than 10 years and 2,880 episodes as the face of morning television on ABC, Diane Sawyer woke up the nation one last time today with a heartfelt "good morning America."

Sawyer's final appearance as co-host of 'Good Morning America' was a touching send-off for the legendary anchorwoman, who leaves the show to take over the reins of the network's primetime news platform, 'World News.' Stepping in next week to fill her chair is political wonk George Stephanopoulos, whose appointment ends weeks of speculation about the future of the show.

But for one day, anyway, all eyes were on the past, not the future, as ABC celebrated Sawyer's long tenure with a number of heartfelt segments, including famous interviews, highlights and bloopers from past episodes. Longtime co-host Robin Roberts was among those who spoke eloquently about Sawyer's impact on the show, thanking her colleague for the wonderful memories, and love," adding "the best part of life is when your family become your friends and your friends become your family."

Indeed, the sendoff was a family affair from start to finish, with other members of the cast and crew stopping frequently to wipe away tears; at one point Roberts and Sawyer joined Sam Champion and news anchor Chris Cuomo, who is also slated to leave the show for a new gig on '20/20,' for a group hug.

And that, in the end, was the fitting final memory for the audience as well: Sawyer completed her popular run on 'Good Morning America' by asking the live studio audience, "Can we have a giant group hug?" The show came to a close with Sawyer embracing the loyal fans that have made her -- and her run on 'Good Morning America' -- a part of the American family for so many years.