Newsmakers, TV

End of an Era: Deborah Norville Retires After 30 Years at Inside Edition

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 08: Television journalist Deborah Norville attends the New York Public Library's 2021 Library Lions gala at the New York Public Library - Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on November 08, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

In April 2025, Deborah Norville announced she would step down as anchor of Inside Edition, a position she had held since March 6, 1995. Her final broadcast aired on May 21, marking the end of a storied 30-year tenure—making her the longest-serving female anchor in national television for a syndicated newsmagazine.

During her farewell broadcast, Norville delivered an emotional send-off. She reflected on her journey—from early criticism to a lifelong mission to prove her place in television—and urged viewers to “believe in yourself when it seems no one else does.”

The episode featured tributes from colleagues and highlights of her impactful work, including remote anchoring during COVID from her kitchen studio.

She plans a relaxing European vacation with her husband and is set to host a new game show, The Perfect Line, this fall.

On July 7, 2025, it was officially announced that Eva Pilgrim, best known as a co-anchor for ABC News’ GMA3, will become the fourth anchor in Inside Edition’s history. Pilgrim joins as the show enters its 38th season.

Pilgrim, who has been with ABC News since 2016 and became a permanent GMA3 co-anchor in 2023, brings a decorated reporting background—from 20/20 and Nightline to World News Tonight. In announcing her departure from ABC, an internal memo praised her “tireless and enthusiastic” work and noted she’ll still have syndication presence on ABC-owned stations in Chicago and Houston.

Her own words capture her excitement: “Anchoring Inside Edition is truly a dream job… I’m pinching myself that I get to work with this amazing team.” Executive producer Charles Lachman added that Pilgrim’s journalism credentials and warmth made her a perfect fit to guide the show into its next chapter.

Published by Tandy Culpepper

I am a veteran broadcast journalist. I was an Army brat before my father retired and moved us to the deep South. I'm talkin' Lower Alabama and Northwest Florida, I graduated from Tate High School and got botha Bachelor's degree and Master's in Teaching English from the University of West Florida, I taught English at Escambia County High School for two years before getting my m's in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Auburn University. Following graduation, I did a 180 degree turn and moved to Birmingham where I began ny broadcasting career at WBIQ, Channel 10. There I was host of a weekly primetime half-hour TV program called Alabama Lifestyles. A year later, I began a stint as a television weathercaster and public affairs host. A year later, I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida and became bureau chief at WPTV, the CBS affiliate. Two years later, I moved to Greensboro, North Carolina where I became co-host of a morng show called AM Carolina. The next year, I moved cross-country and became co-host and story producer at KTVN-TV in Reno, Nevada. I also became the medical reporter for the news department. Three years later, I moved to Louisville, Kentucky and became host and producer of a morning show called today in WAVE Country at WAVE-TV, Channel 3, the NBC affiliate. Following three years there, I moved to Los Angeles and became senior correspondent at the Turner Entertainment Reportn, an internationally-syndicated entertainment entertainment news service owned by CNN. I went back to school afterwards and got an MFA in Creative Nonfiction at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. Oh, yes. I won a hundred thousand dollars on the 100 Thousand Dollar Pyramid, then hosted by Dick Clark.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *