Veteran L.A. anchor Leslie Sykes signed off from behind KABC-TV Channel 7’s “Eyewitness Information” desk for the final time Tuesday. She is retiring after greater than 30 years on the station.
“It’s so onerous to imagine that that is my final day on this set,” the longtime co-anchor of the morning information present mentioned whereas flanked by her colleagues. “It’s been the privilege of my life to get up with you and to share your tales and to be welcomed into your houses each morning. I carry with me so many recollections, a lot laughter, countless gratitude for the belief you’ve positioned in me.”
“I could also be signing off however I’ll at all times be cheering for this metropolis and this station, so from the underside of my coronary heart, thanks for letting me be a part of your lives,” she concluded, earlier than the St. Joseph Excessive College marching band filed onto the set to salute their alum.
Sykes, who was born in San Diego, grew up in Compton. She attended Spelman School in Atlanta earlier than finally heading to Hattiesburg, Miss., for her first on-air publish. She returned to her hometown to affix KABC in 1994 as an on-air reporter earlier than transferring behind the anchor desk for the weekend, daytime and, finally, the morning information present. Sykes introduced her plans to retire final month.
ABC7’s tribute package deal to Sykes included a sendoff from David Muir in addition to a sit-down interview with fellow anchor and good friend Jovana Lara.
“[Sykes will] admit to some jitters at first, however she was principally fearless even when a few of these tales proved larger and extra impactful,” Lara mentioned in a voice-over on the reel that included clips highlighting Sykes’ life and profession. “She’s been among the many greatest masking native information and reporting from overseas.”
When requested about what it feels prefer to know that she is cherished by the local people, Sykes mentioned she couldn’t imagine it.
“I really feel the love,” she mentioned. “I really feel the connection. And I simply really feel like that is my hometown, these are my folks, and I’m simply very grateful.”
