Who: WNBC lead anchor Sue Simmons has been reading the headlines to New Yorkers alongside Chuck Scarborough for more than a quarter century.

Backstory: The daughter of jazz bassist John Simmons, who collaborated with legends like Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, and Billie Holliday, Sue began her journalism career as a correspondent for WTNH-TV in New Haven, Conn. In 1974, she moved to WBAL in Baltimore to anchor the station's "Action News," before heading to Washington to co-anchor the evening news on D.C.'s WRC-TV. In 1980, she joined WNBC in New York. That's where she's been ever since.

Of note: As familiar a part of the late-night television landscape as Letterman and Leno—at least as far as New Yorkers are concerned—Sue and Chuck have co-hosted WNBC's 11 p.m. news broadcast for close to 30 years. Shortly after her arrival in 1980, she picked up the co-anchor slot on the channel's "Live At Five" newscast and bantered with a rotating cast of co-anchors over the years that variously included Jack Cafferty, Matt Lauer, Dean Shepherd, Jim Rosenfield, Perri Peltz, and Scarborough. These days, Simmons—who reportedly earns $2.5 million a year for her services—can be seen co-anchoring the news at 6pm and 11pm.

Drama: In May 2008, the normally mild-mannered Simmons gave family-values types something to complain about when she screamed "What the fuck are you doing?" in a teaser for an 11 p.m. broadcast, not realizing she was live. The query was apparently directed toward Chuck, who'd failed to read his lines because he was distracted by something on his computer screen.

Personal: There's long been speculation surrounding Simmons' sexuality, although she's never discussed the issue publicly. She did take time to blurb Paws and Reflect, a book about the relationships between gay men and their dogs: "I was stunned by the emotions this book shook out of me." She lives in a Midtown East co-op.

For the record: Each year on Groundhog Day, Simmons shows her soft and furry side, doing an on-air impression of a groundhog.

Vital Stats


Full Name: Susan Simmons
Date of Birth: 05/27/1943
Place of Birth: New York, NY
Residence(s): New York, NY (Midtown)
Filed Under: Media, News, Television


[Photo via Getty Images]