When did Don Lemon join CNN? Journalist bids emotional farewell during final prime-time show with network

American television journalist Don Lemon bid adieu to his prime-time CNN show, Don Lemon Tonight, after more than eight years of hosting it.

On October 7, the 56-year-old personality delivered an emotional speech on the last episode of the show where he recalled the good and bad experiences he went through during his time with the network.

He shared:

"Not goodbye, but certainly the end of an era as we sign off this last broadcast of Don Lemon Tonight, more than eight years, thousands of hours of live TV, historic moments and tough conversations. A lot happened between 10 and midnight, or later."

Don Lemon joined CNN in 2006 as a correspondent before moving to CNN Tonight in 2014. Last month, the network announced that the anchor will now be moving to a new morning news show, which will be launched by the end of this year.

Lemon's new show, which is currently unnamed, will air in the current time slot of New Day, from 6 am to 9 am, and include co-hosts Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow.

The network also announced that current New Day anchors Brianna Keilar and John Berman will take on new positions with the network and will continue working in their roles until then.

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Don Lemon credits the crew for the success of his show

While delivering his farewell speech, Don Lemon stated that ending the show was a "bittersweet moment" for him but he would not feel sad about it.

He said:

"I'm just going to miss working with all of the great people who really work their butts off every single day to put this show on the air. So tonight, this isn't about me, this is about you guys who are in the control room and in this studio. This is about you."

Calling them his "family," Lemon thanked his co-workers for standing by him through tough times, especially after his elder sister passed away in 2018. Addressing the low points he experienced throughout his show tenure, Lemon mentioned some of the parts he would not miss after his journey ends.

He went on to mention:

"I'm not gonna miss the brain-fog from these hours, getting off at midnight, nor the late night meals, which gave me dad bod. All of us, we gained and lost so much weight together."

In conclusion, Don Lemon had a special message for the viewers of his show. He talked about the "immense pressure" that came with the job, especially since his show was aired at 10 pm, "when people are going to bed."

He stated:

"Sometimes it was exhausting because some of the things that we discuss here are so personal and so consuming — all-consuming. So, I hope I made you proud, and I thank you for tuning in all these years, and I hope that you're going to join me in the morning. So, I will simply say, goodnight and I will see you soon."

The new show, hosted by Lemon, Collins, and Harlow, will be a revamped morning show. As of now, its launch date has not been announced yet.