Instead of beloved television personality David Muir delivering news on New Year’s Day, his replacement ABC anchor took on the charge of reporting for World News Tonight
ABC news anchor Mary Bruce filled in for David Muir on his show World News Tonight for January 1, and during the show, she delivered some tragic news stories.
Early in the broadcast aired on Thursday, Mary reported on a “deadly” New Year’s Eve celebration that happened “overseas” for ABC viewers. She introduced the segment saying, “Overseas now to a New Year’s Eve celebration turning deadly as flames ripped through a bar in a Swiss ski resort town. “
Mary revealed that on the night of New Year’s Day, there was “a memorial honoring the victims,” which included “40 people killed and dozens more injured.” As she spoke, her voice cracked with emotion.
World News Tonight and ABC News’ respective Instagram accounts shared a joint post of the Switzerland bar fire that Mary reported on-air.
Captured in the Instagram post was a photo of what appeared to be authorities on the scene after the New Year’s disaster at the Swiss bar. Written over the image was the headline, “‘Several’ dozen people presumed dead and about 100 injured in fire at a bar in Switzerland on New Year’s Day, police say.”
Under the post, many left comments that expressed their devastation over the incident, with one writing, “Every beginning of the year something happens,” as another shared, “Absolutely atrocious. Horrific.”
A third added, “Prayers up to everyone involved.”
While Mary replaced David and did his job of delivering hard news on January 1, his show was delayed and then canceled on New Year’s Eve, December 31.
Each day at 3:30 PM PST/6:30 PM EST, ABC fans can normally look forward to seeing David report on the latest news for a nightly episode of World News Tonight, except for Wednesday.
Last night, viewers who tuned in expecting to see David actually saw a football game airing during his scheduled time slot. ABC televised the 2025 Cheez-It Citrus Football Bowl, a college football championship between the Michigan Wolverines and Texas Longhorns, instead showing World News Tonight’s latest episode.
When David is not on-air, he most likely is at home relaxing in his New York City home. Reportedly, the television personality splits his time between his NYC apartment and a historic lakeside home in Skaneateles–a historic property in New York’s Finger Lakes area. David fulfilled a “lifelong dream” by buying the property when he bought the home in 2019.
“This job takes me all over the world, and I can’t think of a better place to catch my breath,” David previously told in an interview with friend Kelly Ripa.
