Kate Boldua: CNN gambles on unknown political reporter, 29, as anchor for new morning show
The youngest ever face of morning TV: How CNN plucked unknown reporter Kate Bolduan to be their new co-host at just 29
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A little-known congressional correspondent, who says she loves breaking news over breaking out the lipstick, will be the youngest co-host of any major network morning show after being chosen by CNN ahead of other more established names.
CNN executives today admitted Kate Bolduan was a 'surprise choice' for their flagship new breakfast show, which she will co-host opposite Chris Cuomo, 42, a former host of Good Morning America and brother of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Indiana-born Bolduan was making a traditional climb through the ranks from Editor in Chief of the Goshen High School paper to most recently working as congressional correspondent of 'The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer' on CNN.
New star: CNN announced today that Kate Bolduan would be the co-host of their new morning show based in New York
Happily married: Kate Bolduan is pictured with her husband Michael Gershenson. She is the surprise selection for CNN'S new morning show slot
And her sudden selection for such a prestigious role from relative obscurity has raised eyebrows, especially as she was awarded ahead of established names in the frame such as Erin Burnett.
Bolduan said it was 'a huge opportunity' in a statement released today. She also expressed her excitement in joining co-host Cuomo and Michaela Pereira from KTLA Morning News - who will work on the new show as News Anchor.
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Share'Knowing that we have the resources of some of the most experienced executives in the business, the backing of a brand like CNN, and to be able to sit alongside such great people as Chris and Michaela — I can’t think of a better combination,' she said.
Commentators have been eager to know the line-up of the new breakfast show given it is one of the pet projects of new CNN chief, Jeffrey Zucker, appointed in January.
His involvement in making NBC's Today show a phenomenal success left many hungry to know what the executive now has in mind for the morning market.
New line-up: Bolduan will be joined by Chris Cuomo, left, as co-host and KTLA's Michaela Pereira as News Anchor, right
Hard-worker: Bolduan is photographed hard at work on International Coastal Clean-Up Day. The TV journalist has been chosen for CNN'S new morning show
'I've been looking forward to this announcement since I first joined CNN,' said President of CNN Worldwide Jeff Zucker today.
'Chris, Kate and Michaela are a dynamic team that will give our viewers in America a new way to start their day. We were floored with excitement when we saw Chris and Kate together on screen, and by adding Michaela to the mix we feel we have something very special. We believe there is an opening to do news in the morning with a fresh, new voice.'
His choice of young presenters has raised eyebrows among commentators but it is the very young Bolduan, who will attract the most attention.
Jim Murphy, who will serve as the show's senior executive producer, said: 'It is a surprising choice, and we know that.'
The 29-year-old has never before held the post of anchor.
She began her career in journalism 11 years ago as a research assistant for House & Garden magazine.
The following year she made her first step on the broadcasting ladder starting with an internship at Dateline NBC and another at NBC Nightly News.
It was then she was appointed producer at the series 'Dying to Drive' before working as a production assistant at NBC News and MSNBC.
Between April 2006 and August 2007 she settled down as a beat reporter for local broadcaster WTVD-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina, when CNN approached her for the political gig.
Back then she didn't seem to have killer ambition, describing the move as a 'happy happenstance'.
However, that's not to say she wasn't hungry for stories.
Politics beat: Kate Bolduan will say farewell to Congress and take up her more prestigious post this Spring
Dressing up: Although Bolduan says she cares more about news than looking good, her natural beauty has won her fans. She was voted the 10th best-looking person in politics by The Hill in 2011
Trust: Executives have shown they trust the rising star putting her in the prestigious new morning slot. She's earned her place though working through the ranks after starting as an intern
In an interview with The Hill she said: 'If it comes down to making one final phone call or putting on lipstick, I’ll make that one final phone call every time.'
Despite her comments, it is unlikely Bolduan will be a sudden departure from the kind of glamor seen on rival shows.
Bolduan was ranked number 10 in The Hill's beautiful people in politics 2011 and a local news report by the Elkhart Truth reported she was also Goshen's Junior Miss in 2000.
She came under fire last June when she wrongly reported that the Supreme Court had struck down Obamacare, however in later reports it emerged she was repeating the mistake of a journalist in the courtroom.
Born Katherine Jean Bolduan in 1983 in Goshen, Indiana, she has three sisters and no family background in journalism.
According to reports, her father Jeff Bolduan is a doctor and her mother Nadine used to be a nurse.
The few fan pages that exist for the rising star say she has a 'down to earth' personality and 'non-pushy approach' that make her so likeable on-air.
In 2005, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The George Washington University. She was a college athlete in volleyball.
She recently converted to Judaism on marrying Michael David Gershenson, a real estate expert based at investment firm The Carlyle Group.
The company's website claims he has overseen $2billion worth of investment.
The couple currently live in Washington D.C. but Bolduan will have to move to New York for her new early morning post.
It is not known if her husband is moving with her of if they will have two homes.
The new show will launch this Spring replacing CNN'S Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien. Its name has not yet been revealed.
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