Morning TV news anchors can become as familiar to TV viewers as their own family members, but audiences rarely consider all of the people behind the scenes that end up being just as essential, if not more so, than the people in front of the camera. Sadly, Good Morning America lost one of its prized producers this week, as Daisha Riley passed away at 35 years old.
Good Morning America honored Daisha Riley's memory during a segment in Tuesday's telecast with a video package and some memories that spoke to how beloved the producer was at the ABC News series. You can watch the video below.
No details were given about Daisha Riley's cause of death, beyond the notion that she died "suddenly and unexpectedly." More importantly, though, Riley lived the kind of life that had a positive impact on those around her. As Michael Strahan pointed out, she was a part of the Good Morning America team for 14 years, and had risen up the BTS ladder with her skills. Whit Johnson said in the clip that he always felt "comfort and confidence" in knowing that he and Riley were working on the same story together.
Perhaps the most notable moment in the video from a broad pop culture perspective was the bit from a Game of Thrones interview where star Liam Cunningham was wowed by the set design that Daisha Riley put together. Sadly, she won't be doing any more set design in the future, though that definitely doesn't mean she won't be in everyone's hearts and minds in the coming weeks.
Good Morning America vet Robin Roberts shared her own message about Daisha Riley on Twitter, saying:
Daisha Riley was a remarkable woman....talented, creative, kind, a beautiful soul in every way. Condolences to her beloved family. Our @GMA family loved her and will be forever grateful to have experienced Daisha’s grace & grit.
20/20 anchor Amy Robach, who has been a Good Morning America mainstay for years, also mourned Daisha Riley's death on social media.
Sending love to sweet Daisha’s family - she was a bright light that shined on everyone she met - we will do our best to carry her light in our hearts each and every day.
ABC News' Tony Morrison shared a somber message that spoke to Daisha Riley being the fourth Good Morning America alum to die this year alone.
Absolutely devastated tonight to learn that Emmy-winning journalist, producer and friend, Daisha Riley, passed away last night. She was a force, full of talent and powerful perspective. We'll be honoring her tomorrow on @GMA. Daisha is the 4th GMA staffer we've lost in 2020.
We at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of Daisha Riley in their time of mourning. Good Morning America airs every morning on ABC with the first hour starting at 8:00 a.m. ET.
