Sam Champion: Husband, Daughter, Height, Net Worth, Age & More

Sam Champion is one of the most recognizable weather broadcasters in American television. With a career spanning more than three decades, he has worked at WABC-TV, ABC News, Good Morning America and The Weather Channel, becoming particularly known for his approachable style and coverage of major storms and other extreme-weather events.

Born in Kentucky in 1961, Champion began his broadcasting career while still in college and eventually spent 18 years at WABC-TV before joining Good Morning America in 2006. He later moved to The Weather Channel before returning to ABC and WABC-TV.

Champion's personal life has also attracted considerable interest, particularly his marriage to Brazilian artist Rubem Robierb and persistent online searches about whether the couple has a daughter.

Quick Facts About Sam Champion

●      Full name: Samuel James Champion

●      Born: August 13, 1961

●      Age: 65

●      Birthplace: Paducah, Kentucky, U.S.

●      Nationality: American

●      Profession: Television meteorologist and weather anchor

●      Education: Eastern Kentucky University

●      Degree: B.A. in broadcast news

●      Husband: Rubem Robierb

●      Married: December 21, 2012

●      Height: 6 ft (1.83 m)

●      Known for: Good Morning America, WABC-TV, The Weather Channel

How Old Is Sam Champion?

Sam Champion was born on August 13, 1961, in Paducah, Kentucky.

He is 65 years old. His birth name is Samuel James Champion.

Champion has spent most of his adult life in television, beginning his broadcasting career in the 1980s and continuing to work in weather journalism decades later.

Where Is Sam Champion From?

Sam Champion was born in Paducah, Kentucky.

He later grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, and attended Fairfax High School. He subsequently attended Eastern Kentucky University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast news.

His father, James H. Champion, was a U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who served in Vietnam. His mother is Sylvia Champion, and he has a sister named Teresa.

How Tall Is Sam Champion?

Sam Champion is listed as 6 feet tall (1.83 metres) by IMDb.

Who Is Sam Champion's Husband?

Sam Champion's husband is Rubem Robierb, a Brazilian-born visual artist, sculptor and photographer.

Robierb has built a career independent of Champion and is known for contemporary artwork, photography and sculpture.

Champion and Robierb met through mutual friends in Miami several years before announcing their engagement. ABC News reported their engagement in October 2012.

When Did Sam Champion and Rubem Robierb Get Married?

Sam Champion and Rubem Robierb married on December 21, 2012.

The couple's marriage followed their engagement announcement earlier that year. ABC News reported that the pair had met through mutual friends in Miami and that Robierb was a fine-arts photographer whose work had been exhibited in several U.S. cities.

They have remained together since then.

Who Is Rubem Robierb?

Rubem Robierb is a Brazilian-born contemporary artist whose work includes photography, sculpture, painting, and other forms of visual art.

ABC News identified him as a fine-arts photographer when the couple announced their engagement in 2012.

Robierb's career is separate from Champion's television work, although the couple has frequently appeared together at public events and on social media.

Does Sam Champion Have a Daughter?

No publicly confirmed daughter has been reported.

In December 2021, Champion posted a video showing himself and Robierb holding a baby girl named Gabriela. Some followers interpreted the post as an announcement that the couple had become parents.

Champion subsequently clarified that they were "proud uncles", meaning the baby was a relative rather than their daughter.

Therefore, there is no reliable evidence that Sam Champion has a daughter.

Does Sam Champion Have Children?

Based on publicly available information, Sam Champion and Rubem Robierb do not have publicly confirmed children.

The confusion largely stems from the 2021 social-media post involving baby Gabriela. Champion clarified that the baby was not his or Robierb's child.

Sam Champion has no publicly confirmed biological or adopted children.

What Is Sam Champion's Net Worth?

Sam Champion's net worth is estimated at approximately $10 million by Celebrity Net Worth.

However, this is an estimate rather than an officially confirmed figure.

Champion has had a long and lucrative television career, including prominent positions at ABC News, Good Morning America, WABC-TV and The Weather Channel.

His income has also come from television appearances, hosting and other media work.

What Is Sam Champion's Salary?

Celebrity Net Worth currently estimates Sam Champion's salary at around $2 million per year.

When Did Sam Champion Start His Career?

Champion began his broadcasting career while attending college.

According to ABC News, he started as an intern at WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky. He later worked as a weekend weather anchor and reporter at WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky.

He subsequently worked at WJKS-TV in Jacksonville, Florida, before making the move that would define much of his career.

When Did Sam Champion Join WABC-TV?

Sam Champion joined WABC-TV in New York in 1988.

He spent approximately 18 years at the station before joining ABC News nationally.

ABC News described him as the most-watched weatherman in the New York tri-state area during his WABC years.

His long association with the station eventually made him one of the best-known local television meteorologists in New York.

When Did Sam Champion Join Good Morning America?

Champion officially joined ABC News and Good Morning America in 2006.

He became the program's weather anchor and ABC News' weather editor.

During his years at GMA, he reported from locations affected by hurricanes, wildfires, winter storms, and other major weather events.

His GMA career lasted seven years before he left the program in December 2013.

Why Did Sam Champion Leave Good Morning America?

Champion left Good Morning America in December 2013 to join The Weather Channel.

He became the network's managing editor and on-air personality and hosted America's Morning Headquarters.

ABC reported that Champion had spent 25 years with the network and described his departure as a move he considered an extraordinary career opportunity.

He delivered his final GMA forecast on December 4, 2013.

What Did Sam Champion Do at The Weather Channel?

After leaving ABC, Champion joined The Weather Channel in 2014.

He became managing editor and hosted America's Morning Headquarters (AMHQ).

He also worked on other weather and climate programming during his time at the network.

Champion eventually left The Weather Channel in 2016.

Did Sam Champion Return to ABC?

Yes.

After leaving The Weather Channel, Champion returned to ABC on a fill-in basis and subsequently returned to WABC-TV.

He was announced as a returning member of WABC's morning and noon newscasts in 2019, while also becoming a contributor to ABC News.

He has continued to appear on Good Morning America as a weather contributor and fill-in meteorologist.

ABC News reported in January 2016, for example, that Champion would return to GMA while Ginger Zee was on maternity leave.

Is Sam Champion Still on Good Morning America?

Yes, he continues to appear on Good Morning America as a weather contributor.

His role is different from the one he held during his original seven-year run as the program's full-time weather anchor.

He remains associated with ABC and WABC-TV and continues to make appearances on GMA.

In March 2026, for example, ABC News reported that Champion returned to Good Morning America after undergoing an emergency heart procedure.

What Happened to Sam Champion's Health in 2026?

In March 2026, Champion publicly discussed a recent heart health scare.

He told Good Morning America that he had undergone an emergency cardiac catheterization after experiencing shortness of breath and undergoing medical tests.

Champion said he felt fine when he returned to the program and explained that he wanted to share his experience to encourage people to pay attention to heart health.

This is a recent development in his life and is separate from his long-standing career in television.

Did Sam Champion Compete on Dancing With the Stars?

Yes.

Champion competed on Season 31 of Dancing With the Stars in 2022.

His professional dance partner was Cheryl Burke.

The pair were eliminated in the fourth week of the competition, finishing 13th out of 16 couples.

His appearance introduced him to viewers who may have known him primarily as a weather anchor.

What Awards Has Sam Champion Won?

Champion's career has earned significant recognition.

He was part of the Good Morning America team that won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Morning Program in 2007, and ABC's program won the same category again in 2008.

His coverage of Superstorm Sandy in 2012 also contributed to ABC News' Peabody Award-winning coverage of the disaster.

More recently, in June 2026, Champion received a lifetime achievement award from the Fair Media Council's Folio Awards for his contribution to journalism.

What Did Sam Champion Report During His Career?

Champion has covered some of the most significant weather events in the United States.

His reporting has included:

●      Hurricanes

●      Tornadoes

●      Wildfires

●      Winter storms

●      Flooding

●      Extreme weather

●      Climate and environmental stories

During his GMA years, he traveled extensively to report directly from severe-weather locations. ABC specifically highlighted his reporting from wildfires in California, hurricanes in Florida, Texas and Louisiana, and winter storms in Denver, Chicago and Boston.

Sam Champion's Career Timeline

Year    Career milestone

1961    Born in Paducah, Kentucky

1980s  Began broadcasting career

1988    Joined WABC-TV

2006    Joined ABC News and Good Morning America

2007    Part of Emmy-winning GMA team

2012    Married Rubem Robierb

2012    Covered Superstorm Sandy

2013    Left GMA for The Weather Channel

2014    Began work at The Weather Channel

2016    Left The Weather Channel

2016–2018      Returned to ABC on a fill-in basis

2019    Returned to WABC-TV

2022    Competed on Dancing With the Stars

2026    Received a lifetime achievement award from the Folio Awards

Sources include ABC News, WABC-TV, and biographical records.

Sam Champion's Personal Life

Champion has been married to Rubem Robierb since 2012.

The couple has maintained a relatively private personal life while occasionally sharing photographs from their travels and public appearances.

Robierb is a successful artist in his own right, and Champion has frequently supported his husband's artistic work.

Despite recurring internet claims about children, there is no reliable public confirmation that Champion and Robierb have a daughter or other children.

Conclusion

Sam Champion has built an unusually long career in American television weather broadcasting.

From his beginnings as a television intern in Kentucky to his 18 years at WABC-TV, seven years as Good Morning America's weather anchor, time at The Weather Channel, and eventual return to ABC, Champion has remained a familiar face to generations of viewers.

He is 65 years old, stands approximately 6 feet tall, and has been married to Brazilian artist Rubem Robierb since December 2012.

His career also remains active. In June 2026, Champion received a lifetime achievement award from the Fair Media Council's Folio Awards, recognizing his decades of journalism.

Most recently, Champion has also been open about a 2026 heart-health scare, using his experience to encourage viewers to take symptoms such as shortness of breath seriously and to communicate with their doctors.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What happened to Sam Champion’s face?

Sam Champion’s facial scar was the result of surgery for nodular basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. In 2024, Champion noticed an unusual spot beneath his left eye that was diagnosed as basal cell carcinoma. He underwent multiple procedures to remove it, leaving a visible scar under his eye. Champion has spoken publicly about the experience to encourage people to watch for unusual changes in their skin.

Champion had previously undergone treatment for skin cancer in 2010, when cancerous cells were removed from his shoulder during a Good Morning America broadcast.

2. Does Sam Champion have children?

No. Sam Champion does not have any biological or adopted children. He has been married to Brazilian artist and photographer Rubem Robierb since 2012.

Champion and Robierb have generally kept their personal life private, and there is no reliable evidence that they have children.

3. What ever happened to Sam Champion?

Sam Champion continues to work as a television meteorologist. He is associated with ABC7/WABC-TV in New York and continues to contribute to ABC News and Good Morning America.

In March 2026, Champion also underwent a cardiac catheterization after a nuclear stress test revealed a significant heart blockage. Doctors treated the blockage with a stent, and he returned to Good Morning America just two days later. Champion said he was doing well and expected to make a full recovery.

4. Why did Sam Champion leave Good Morning America?

Sam Champion left Good Morning America in December 2013 to join The Weather Channel, where he became managing editor and host of America's Morning Headquarters (AMHQ). Contemporary reporting said he had been unable to reach an agreement with ABC on a new contract.

His departure was therefore not because he was fired. Champion moved to The Weather Channel for a new professional opportunity. He later left The Weather Channel in December 2016 and returned to ABC, eventually becoming a weather anchor at WABC-TV in New York.

5. Where does Sam Champion live?

Sam Champion and his husband, Rubem Robierb, have homes in New York and Miami and have split their time between the two cities. Champion previously lived in a New York City apartment with a rooftop garden, but in 2025 he said he was moving out of that apartment.

So, rather than identifying one permanent residence, it is more accurate to say that Sam Champion divides his time between New York and Miami.

6. How old is Sam Champion’s husband?

Sam Champion’s husband, Brazilian artist Rubem Robierb, was born on December 1, 1976. He turned 49 in December 2025, making him 49 years old.

Champion and Robierb have been married since December 21, 2012, when they wed in an intimate ceremony at Champion’s New York City apartment.

Sam Champion was born August 13, 1961, so he is about 15 years older than Robierb.