San Francisco journalist Reggie Aqui has captured the internet’s heart with his bittersweet farewell to his longtime audience.
During the Tuesday broadcast of ABC7 News Bay Area, Aqui celebrated his 10th anniversary with the network in the same breath that he announced his departure. Aqui offered no reason for his exit and teared up as he looked back on his decade-long tenure.
“10 years is a long time. In dog years, that’s like going from a puppy to a senior,” he reflected on the Sept. 30 episode. “Had I been good at math and science, I could’ve been a doctor or a scientist in those 10 years. If this were a 10-year wedding anniversary, I would have a gift of tin or aluminum, so put me in Reynolds wrap because this is both my 10-year work anniversary and my last day here at ABC7 News.”
Aqui then told viewers that his “proudest” achievement at the network is not an industry accolade or particular news story, but the relationships he built with his costars and his audience, who he dubbed his “co-anchors.”
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Reggie Aqui with the ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ cast
Tearing up, Aqui took a moment before explaining, “I’m including you because you are always a part of this. Of course, I don’t know all your names. But when I meet you on the street, at the store or in my DMs, you tell me that we make your day just a little bit better and the news a little easier to swallow.”
His voice still thick with emotion, he added, “So, I’m going to take those relationships, including my daily one with you, I’m going to take that over an Emmy.”
Aqui joined the network in October 2015 after anchoring at an Oregon station, according to his ABC7 bio. He resides in the San Francisco area with his husband, Phil, and maintains that his absolute career highlight was an interview with country legend Dolly Parton in which he joined her for a duet of her song, “Islands in the Stream.”
Wrapping up his emotional on-air speech, Aqui reflected on the complex feelings of leaving the network after a decade. “Ten years,” he said. “I’m so happy it happened. I am sad that it’s over, and that’s perfect because that is my favorite kind of emotion: happy and sad.”
Aqui marks the second anchor to depart ABC7’s KGO station this week. Two days before his announcement, Julian Glover, an anchor and race and culture reporter, shared on Instagram that he would be leaving the station.
“Six years ago I came to California like so many before me: looking for adventure and a new challenge,” the East Coast native wrote. “I found that and so much more. Now it’s time to turn the page — to a familiar one.”
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Glover, who helped produce the Emmy-winning 2022 documentary Our America: Lowballed, revealed plans to move back home to Washington, D.C. and urged his fans to “stay tuned.”
As for Aqui, he he indicated that the future remains unknown. Sharing a clip of his tearful announcement on Instagram, he wrote, “Truly, thank you. Not sure what’s next. Other than a much deserved nap. What a ride that was.”
Watch Aqui’s full departure speech above.
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