Kellie Rowe, a popular member of the Fox 2 Detroit news team, announced on social media Thursday, Aug. 6, that she is leaving the station for personal reasons that doubtless will resonate with many of her viewers.
Rowe posted to the 77,000 followers of her Facebook page that after “10 incredible years” at the station, she is leaving the fast-paced world of local TV news because she has “some healing to do.”
“My goal is to slow down, reconnect with myself, and learn to appreciate a quieter life,” wrote Rowe of her decision to leave Fox 2 Detroit (WJBK-TV, Channel 2).
“I don't know what's next, but I'm so thankful for a support system that's giving me the time to figure it out," Rowe continued. "I am looking forward to meeting the best version of
myself. I plan to share that journey here because I think other people need to hear it, too. It's easy to think everyone else has life figured out, especially online, but I think we're all craving authenticity and real connections more than ever.”
Rowe said in her posting that Fox 2 Detroit had given her to opportunity to do many jobs in the newsroom — everything from "anchoring, sports, traffic, weather, reporting" to covering the Detroit Tigers in spring training at Lakeland, Florida, and more.
She admitted that leaving “isn’t an easy decision, but I knew it was time.” As she explained: “It's easy to think everyone else has life figured out, especially online, but I think we're all craving authenticity and real connections more than ever.”
Rowe thanked viewers for “allowing me to grow up in front of you” and welcoming her into their homes.
“Please, if you feel so inclined, still say hi if you ever see me — I'd just love that. I genuinely adore those conversations, they've always been my favorite part of it all,” she wrote
She playfully added, “Also please bully the Weather Boys in my absence, they really need it.”
Rowe concluded: “FOX 2 has shaped so much of who I am, and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunities I've had and the people who believed in me along the way. This isn't goodbye. It's just the beginning of my next adventure, and I hope you'll come along."
According to her station bio, Rowe was born in California and raised in Davison, Michigan. The Michigan State University alum worked at the college’s student newspaper, The State News, as an undergraduate and had internships with USA Today, WJRT-TV in Flint, and FOX 47 News in Lansing and Jackson before joining Fox 2 Detroit’s digital team.
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Fox 2 Detroit's Kellie Rowe announces she is leaving the station
