Apologetic Aly: “I’ll Be Back”

Camerota: “I do feel like I sorta vanished without a trace….I’m sorry for all the questions.” Today, Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Alisyn Camerota called in to her weekend show to reassure her concerned fans that she would indeed return to F&FW. At least, sometime in the future.

Before Aly’s telephonic appearance, F&FW producers ran a comedic collage of clips of her and her co-anchors Dave Briggs and Clayton Morris, at Shea Stadium on FOX fan night yesterday.* In the final snippet, America’s Newsroom co-host Bill Hemmer grabbed a reluctant Aly and led her away from her F&FW boys. As Dave and Clayton protested, Aly threw them a kiss and remarked, “I’ve got to go with Bill. I’m sorry. I’ll be back!”

As the humorous montage ended, Clayton dryly commented, “That’s the story of our lives, Bill Hemmer yanking Alisyn away. And, we…managed to get Alisyn on the phone this morning.” On cue, Aly animatedly exclaimed, “Hey, guys! What’s going on, my estranged TV husbands and their new wife [Molly Line]. Hey, Molly!” As Molly laughed, Clayton commented, “I know, my TV wife: we miss you.”

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Dave interjected, “You left us for Bill Hemmer. It was right there.”

Amused, Aly explained, “Well, it’s not permanent. As you know, I’m very fickle. And, I like the whole sort of square dance of different men. So, I’ll be back.”

Clayton responded, “Oh, good. Yeah, it was great to see you last night.” Then, echoing his excepted explanation of two weeks ago, he remarked, “We’re doing the maternity shuffle right now. Explain this maternity shuffle because you’re in the midst of it. Right?”

Elucidating somewhat, Aly answered, “Yeah, Megyn [Kelly of America Live] is out because she had a pretty baby girl; and Martha MacCallum [of America’s Newsroom] is filling in her; and I’m filling in for Martha; and sometimes I’m filling in for Megyn; and Molly is so sweet to fill in for me.” Then, she rightly remarked, “I know it’s been a crazy couple of months.”

After some subsequent impertinent palaver, Clayton commented, “Finally, we’ve been able to answer all of that question [sic] because we get e-mails and Tweets all the time, ‘Where’s Aly?’ So, now everyone knows.”

Apologetically, Aly answered, “I know, and I feel so badly about that. I mean I do feel like I sorta vanished without a trace even though I am hiding in plain sight from 9 to 11 every morning on the East Coast. But, I do really miss you guys, and I really miss all of our loyal viewers.”

Conciliatorialy, Aly concluded, “And, so I’m sorry for all the questions. And, I’m just happy to see you guys last night, and…we’ll be reunited.”

But, when? During Megyn’s maternity leave, Martha has repeatedly gone home to America’s Newsroom while Aly has stayed away from Fox & Friends Weekend. Something afoot, Aly?

[Author’s aside: In the intro to the final hour of the show, Molly remarked, “In for Alisyn. Get a chance to hang out with you guys until she returns: “The new girl” appears to intimate that she has secured the center seat on the F&FW curvy couch until Aly comes back–at least, on Saturdays. As for Sundays, it seems that Ainsley may have similarly locked in her sub role for Aly: During Aly’s phone-in (7:34 a.m. ET), Dave declared, “We want to say that we really appreciate your, your fill-ins here: Molly and Ainsley have done a great job.” N.B. No mention was made of Juliet Huddy or any other Aly sub.]

*Fox & Friends Weekend – 06/18/11 (7:32 a.m. ET)

Tags: ainsley earhardt, alisyn camerota, America Live, America's Newsroom, Bill Hemmer, Clayton Morris, Dave Briggs, David Briggs, FNC, Fox News, Juliet Huddy, Martha MacCallum, Megyn Kelly, Molly Line