Beloved ABC Host Opens Up About Being Called a ‘Daddy’

Beloved ABC Host Opens Up About Being Called a ‘Daddy’ originally appeared on Parade.

ABC’s World News Tonight anchor David Muir is embracing the attention of his fans.

Muir is known as the most-watched anchor in America, with nearly 7 million viewers. He has been the lead anchor since 2014, and in that time, he’s covered some of the world’s biggest, most important stories.

He’s been nominated for more Emmys than we can list and won the prestigious award in 2010, 2017, and 2018. Muir has set fundraising records, rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, and even met Pope Francis.

But to his most dedicated fans, Muir is “daddy,” with clips and montages of Muir making it into a few viral trends and memes shared on social media.

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In a new interview with PEOPLE, he’s opening up about how that makes him feel.

Muir quipped, “People will forward TikTok videos, but only because they are laughing out loud at them and making fun of me and saying, ‘When did you become Daddy?'”

“So I don’t know whether that happens when you hit 50 or what, but I’ll take it as a compliment, I think,” he continued. “Anyone who works with me knows that I am so uncomfortable even having to put on the tux. So the fact that I survive those events is still a surprise to me without looking like a total nerd.”

Always one to find the silver lining, Muir mused, “So maybe it’s lost on me, but I guess Daddy’s better than the alternative.”

There are plenty of TikTok videos dedicated to the love of David Muir and that adoration also spills over to X, where fans are not shy about sharing their love for “daddy.”

Beloved ABC Host Opens Up About Being Called a ‘Daddy’ first appeared on Parade on May 30, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.