How Erin Andrews' Co-Workers Left Her In Tears
In 2012, Erin Andrews left ESPN to join Fox. The move offered the famed sideline reporter an opportunity to expand her resume. Andrews spoke glowingly of Fox when she first joined the network. "I couldn't be more excited to get to work," she said in a statement at the time, via The Wrap.
Although the reporter was a seasoned on-air personality, she occasionally found herself intimidated while conducting interviews with certain ornery sports figures. "I love some of these coaches, but there are definitely a few who used to psyche me out a little bit," she told AdWeek in 2014 just before working her first Super Bowl. Over time, Andrews learned how to handle those difficult situations. "I used to be terrified of [Alabama coach] Nick Saban [laughs], and now I'm comfortable enough where I can do one-on-one interviews with him," she added.
While still working at ESPN, Andrews and fellow sideline reporter Michelle Beadle had a well-publicized falling out. The friction between the two continued even after Andrews left the network for Fox. Beadle was fairly candid in 2013, and recalled an "awkward" run-in with her former co-worker. "We've been in an elevator before and it was awkward," Beadle said on "The Dan Patrick Show" (via For The Win). "She's really not a relevant part of my world. And I don't mean that in a jerk way," Beadle added. Years later, other co-workers reduced Andrews to tears, but for entirely different reasons.
How Troy Aikman and Joe Buck made Erin Andrews cry
Erin Andrews took it harder than most when the news broke that NFL broadcasters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were leaving Fox to join ESPN as the lead NFL commentator booth. "I wasn't expecting it. I'll be completely honest," she said on her "Calm Down With Erin and Charissa" podcast (via the New York Post). Andrews revealed that she had difficulty keeping her emotions in check when she found out her long-time co-workers were switching networks. "When I had to speak to both of those guys separately when they both had officially left, oh God I cried," she said. Both Buck and Aikman were surprised by Andrews's emotional reaction, she added. "I don't think they both expected that from me. I'll cry right now."
Since joining Fox, and working on countless assignments together, Andrews had developed a close bond with both broadcasters that transcended their work relationships. "You said it perfectly, I know these people sometimes better than my husband," she told her podcast co-host Charissa Thompson. Over the years, the crew had shared their personal lives. "They've listened to my fertility issues, they knew about my cancer issues," Andrews added.
A month earlier, the sideline reporter spoke about her close relationship with Buck and Aikman. "...Those guys are like my brothers or my best friends," she told The Spun in February. "Apparently I'm the only one that thinks that way because they're leaving me," Andrews jokingly added.