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Janice Dean bids emotional farewell to Fox as she battles MS
Cheryl McCloudUSA TODAY NETWORK – Florida
Updated July 10, 2026, 1:15 p.m. ET
- Janice Dean appeared on “Fox & Friends” July 10 to say goodbye.
- Dean announced in June she would be leaving as she continues to battle multiple sclerosis.
- “I have loved every moment,” Dean told viewers.
Janice Dean gave an emotional farewell on “Fox & Friends” early July 10, capping off 22 years of reporting the weather for millions across Florida and the United States
Followers knew it was coming. The Fox News meteorologist and author posted on X and Facebook in late June she was leaving due to health reasons
Dean stepped away from Fox in late 2025 as she battled multiple sclerosis, symptoms aggravated by early-morning shifts, long hours on her feet, and the stress of live broadcasting
“Goodbyes are hard. But they are necessary before you can meet again,” Dean posted on Facebook, adding her doctors said stepping away was necessary for her health
Janice Dean leaving Fox for health reasons
Dean announced on X and Facebook June 25 she would be leaving Fox as she continues to battle health issues related to multiple sclerosis
“There’s no cure for MS and over time my symptoms have progressed. Unfortunately, lack of sleep and stress are some of the biggest triggers and I was increasingly feeling the effects of my limitations.”
“It has been an honor of my life and I feel really blessed to have done this job,” Dean told “Fox & Friends” on air July 10
“But I also want to say living with an illness, we don’t talk about this on TV, but getting up at 2:30 in the morning is a really tough thing, right? It’s tough on your body
“I did it for a long time and I probably shouldn’t have done it as long as I did, but I think I caught it at a time where I can repair myself a little bit. And part of that is unfortunately getting away from a job that was very stressful in a lot of ways, even though I loved it so much.”
‘I have loved every moment.’ Fox says goodbye to Janice Dean
On July 10, Janice Dean appeared on “Fox & Friends” for a final farewell after spending the last 22 years with the network
“I came back to see some friends today,” Dean said. “Ones that you see on television and ones that you don’t see behind the scenes. I also came to get some nice hair and makeup,” she joked
“Listen, 22 years is a long time and I’ve had time to reflect on what that has meant for my life and my family. I’ve shared a lot on TV. And one thing I realized that I didn’t share was a goodbye
“And so that’s why I feel like this is important for me. The things that people don’t talk about is when you leave a career, a job, there is a grieving period, because this has been part of my life. You guys have been my second family
“And this, I think, will help me with that grieving period because turning the page on this chapter has been really heavy and maybe the pages will get lighter after this. So thank you. And I want to say to the audience, I have loved every moment.”
Who is Janice Dean?
Janice Dean joined Fox News Channel in January 2004 and served as senior meteorologist for the network
She was the morning meteorologist for Fox’s signature morning show, “Fox & Friends” and contributed to Fox Weather, Fox News Media’s free ad-supported streaming television weather service
Throughout her tenure with the network, Dean has covered every major weather event across the United States, according to her biography on Fox
Dean also has written several books, including a children’s series tailored towards teaching the weather, “Freddy the Frogcaster.” She donated all of the earnings from her most recent “Freddy” title to Team Rubicon, an organization dedicated to providing disaster relief to those affected by natural disasters.
In 2019, she released her memoir, “Mostly Sunny: How I Learned to Keep Smiling Through the Rainiest Days” and in 2021, published “Make Your Own Sunshine: Inspiring Stories of People Who Find Light in Dark Times.”
Fox News: Dean has ‘inspired viewers’ over the years
“Throughout her 22-year career with FOX News Media, Janice Dean has inspired viewers with her warmth, resilience, and dedication,” Fox News Media said
“Her willingness to share her personal journeys has touched countless lives and served as ace’s courageous decision to step away from her role as senior meteorologist on “FOX & Friends” and are grateful for her many contributions.”
What is MS, multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis is a disease that causes breakdown of the protective covering of nerves, according to the Mayo Clinic
Known as MS, it can cause numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes, and other symptoms. Eventually, the disease can cause permanent damage to the nerve fibers
Symptoms of MS depend on the person, the location of damage in the nervous system, and how bad the damage is to the nerve fibers. Some people lose the ability to walk on their own or move at all
“There’s no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, there are treatments to help speed the recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.”
What are symptoms of multiple sclerosis?
Common symptoms of multiple sclerosis include:
- Numbness or tingling.
- Electric-shock sensations that happen with certain neck movements, especially bending the neck forward.
- Lack of coordination.
- Trouble walking or not being able to walk at all.
- Weakness.
- Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time. Vision loss often happens with pain during eye movement.
- Double vision.
- Blurry vision.
- Dizziness and a false sense that you or your surroundings are moving.
- Trouble with sexual, bowel, and bladder function.
- Fatigue.
- Slurred speech.
- Troubles with memory, thinking, and understanding information.
- Mood changes.
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, athttps://palmbeachpost.com/newsletters
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