Vinay Menon: The alleged affair between ABC’s T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach is not a dangerous liaison – it’s just another office romance

If broadcasters investigated every workplace romance, there’d be no money left for the news.

The big media story this week is unusual as it involves two people most of us would have failed to pick out of a police lineup last week. T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are co-hosts on “GMA3.” While that sounds like a supplement for body builders, “GMA3” is a “news, health and lifestyle program that also highlights incredible human stories of personal triumph.”

Now the news is the human story of Holmes and Robach.

It all started when those fanged rabble-rousers over at the Daily Mail published an “EXCLUSIVE” alleging the T.J. and Amy “friendship has evolved into a full-blown romantic relationship off-screen.”

It seems the “married co-hosts” were seen “cosying up” at a bar, “holding hands” in an Uber and “shacking up in a secluded cottage in Upstate New York.” Per the breathless report: “According to insiders, the two are said to have gone from co-stars to lovers in June, when they were in London together covering the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee for ABC.”

If true, it’s the first time the royal family has made anyone horny.

Accompanying the story were paparazzi photos clearly shot with a lens long enough to double as a Hubble. I felt like I was looking at surveillance footage captured by undercover agents in a mob sting operation.

Why the Daily Mail stalked these relatively obscure TV personalities around New York for days is not clear. Why this is anyone’s business is not clear.

Why this is news is not clear.

It’s not as if the publication uncovered a steamy affair between, say, Joe Biden and Emily Ratajkowski. I just creeped myself out imagining his bare-chested pillow talk: “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Emrata, ready for the malarkey?”

Anyway, the Daily Mail story triggered lots of other stories and, on Monday, Holmes and Robach were yanked off the airwaves as ABC launched an internal investigation to see if these lovebirds had nested outside of company policy.

Why this romance probe can’t proceed while they still do their jobs is not clear.

I suppose HR at any broadcaster is on tenterhooks these days.

Networks do not want another Roger Ailes scandal, Matt Lauer fiasco or even a bewildering Charlie Rose disgrace. But there is no power imbalance here, no hints of predatory behaviour. This wasn’t a senior exec propositioning a summer intern.

These are two adults who mutually consented to canoodle.

As for the “married” part, there are reports they were both separated before their chemistry spilled from the studio to the boudoir. But even if this was an extramarital affair, shouldn’t ABC have the good sense to exploit it for ratings?

Show of hands: How many of you have ever watched “GMA3”? How dare you skip riveting segments on how art therapy can boost mental health? Or urgent queries such as, “How long is too long to be eating leftover turkey?”

USA Today quoted an unnamed staffer who quoted ABC News president Kimberly Godwin. In a meeting, she allegedly said: “While the relationship is not a violation of company policies, I have taken the last few days to think through what I think is best for our organization. For now, I’m going to take Amy and T.J. off the air while we figure this out.”

She called the alleged relationship a “distraction.”

Psst. Ms. Godwin? A distraction is exactly what “GMA3” needs.

I’m not setting my PVR to find out if it’s safe to drink coffee on an empty stomach. What about coffee on a stomach full of old turkey? And before I twirl Christmas lights around the juniper outside my house, are winter boots a tripping hazard on a stepladder and, if so, will my gloves protect me from possible electrocution?

I’m not buying 99.9 per cent of what GMA3 is selling.

But viewers might get lured in for a bit by this T.J. and Amy drama.

Put the co-hosts back in their anchor chairs before we go back to forgetting “GMA3” exists. In a few days, someone will ask about this story. And I’ll be like, “Ah, I forget. I think T.J. Maxx was French kissing Amy Poehler in a Burger King?”

Good luck to ABC in this investigation. But what it’s going to find is the office romance is as old as the office. As the Washington Post noted: “Surveys conducted find anywhere from one-third to half of us have dated a co-worker at least once.”

The sparks tend to fly between 9 and 5.

“GMA3” is branded with a viewer promise: “What You Need To Know.” What ABC needs to know is there are probably a lot of staffers, single or married, who are bumping uglies with co-workers when their shifts are over.

As it turns out, Cupid has a cubicle.

Even with the pandemic and remote work, the office romance is on the rise.

But as long as this carnal carnival is consensual, who cares?

Now, if Holmes and Robach were sneaking offset for quickies during commercial breaks, that’s different. But if they’re holding hands in an Uber or shacking up in a secluded cottage, live and let live.

You do you, T.J. Holmes. You do you, Amy Robach.

And feel free to keep on doing each other.

This isn’t a dangerous liaison. This is a ho-hum workplace romance.

And it won’t be the last.

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