Bethany Watson Cleared For Takeoff

• It’s the end of one marvelous adventure — and the beginning of a new one — for the charming and talented Ms. Bethany Watson, who yesterday announced she is leaving her co-host position on the syndicated Elvis Duran and the Morning Show after 5 1/2 years. The audio announcement of Watson’s departure was posted on the show’s website, accompanied by these sentiments, which read, “[Bethany] has an exciting journey ahead of her, pursuing so many incredible opportunities in the entertainment industry. It is with the heaviest of hearts that we bid her adieu, but we’re also sure, without a doubt, that our girl is going to fly.”

Watson joined the Z100/New York-based show in August of 2012, succeeding Carolina Bermudez, after a five-year stint as co-host of the Dave Ryan in the Morning show on sister KDWB/Minneapolis.

Watson shared the news of her decision in a lengthy Instagram post that read, in part, “As you may have heard this morning, I’ve made the difficult decision to leave the morning show. Elvis is always saying that we need to follow what we’re passionate about, even if it’s not a sure thing. And none of us are promised tomorrow. You all know that I love doing projects outside of work like writing, acting and producing, and those are things that I’m incredibly passionate about. So it’s time for me to follow those other passions now. This is the scariest, riskiest decision I’ve ever made, but I’m more afraid of regret than I am of failure.”

In conclusion, Watson said, “To clarify, I’m not going anywhere! I’m staying in New York, I’m staying on social media and I’m staying friends with everyone. I’ll just be spending my mornings a little differently — and maybe getting a little more sleep.”