Who

Champion is the Ken doll look-alike who delivers the forecast on Good Morning America.

Backstory

The son of a Marine, Champion was born in Kentucky but traveled throughout his childhood (Scotland, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia) before returning to his home state to pick up a broadcasting degree from Eastern Kentucky University. Following a stint at Paducah's WPSD, Champion headed to Jacksonville, Fla. where he worked as a weekend weather anchor at WJKS. In 1988, he moved to New York to join WABC and spent a decade and a half as New York's sunniest weatherman. Champion went national in 2006 when he nabbed a coveted spot on GMA—Lee Goldberg replaced him on WABC. These days Champion's blindingly white smile can be seen from 6 AM to 9 AM alongside GMA hosts Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, and Chris Cuomo.

Keeping score

Champion reportedly brings home $1.5 million a year for his meteorological expertise.

Personal

The perma-tanned weatherman is gay and active in the community. In the spring of 2006, he was rumored to be house-hunting with his boyfriend Sean Bell. Several weeks later, gossipmongers gleefully revealed that prior to his romance with Champion, Bell was advertising his sexual services on a gay hookup site. Champion lives on the Upper West Side, in the same building as David Henry Hwang and Time Warner lawyer Paul Cappuccio. In 2006, he paid $1.2 million for a second home in Wilton, Conn.

No joke

Fans of Champion, or perhaps fans of his preposterous-sounding but very real name, founded an indie pop band called Sam Champion. No word if Sam Champion, the weatherman, is a fan.

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