1. She’s the first female solo evening news anchor
While Katie Couric could be considered the first permanent female solo evening news anchor (for CBS Evening News), the distinction truly belongs to Elizabeth Vargas. Elizabeth filled in for journalist Bob Woodruff in various positions after he was injured while reporting in Iraq in 2006.
2. She anchored ABC’s World News Tonight Saturday (and Sunday)
Elizabeth took over World News Tonight Saturday in 1997, and moved to the Sunday edition in 2003. She left the show in 2004 to anchor 20/20, but returned to World News Tonight in 2005 to help fill in while Peter Jennings battled lung cancer. After his death, she was named co-anchor of the show along with Bob Woodruff. She resigned from WNT in 2006.
3. She won an Emmy
Elizabeth won an Emmy in 2000 for Outstanding Instant Coverage of a News Story for anchoring live coverage of the Elian González case. She was nominated for an Emmy in 1998 for her 20/20 investigation into the wrongful conviction of Betty Tyson.
4. She battled alcohol addiction and anxiety in her personal life — and onscreen
Elizabeth entered rehab in 2013 for alcohol addiction after suffering from the disease secretly for years. She explained that she had extreme anxiety since she was a child, and tried to ease it by drinking. It spiraled out of control, and she became an alcoholic. She got the help she needed, and is now doing well.
5. She wrote a memoir about her struggles with addiction and anxiety
Elizabeth has spoken out about her addiction issues publicly (in multiple TV interviews), but she’s going in-depth with a passionate book about the debilitating problems. Her 2016 memoir, Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction, talks about the impact it had on her personal and professional life, and what tools she uses to fight those challenges.
HollywoodLifers, are you going to read Elizabeth’s memoir? Tell us in the comments!