UPDATE: Longtime WDIV-TV consumer affairs reporter Hank Winchester, Kelly Stafford’s co-host on The Morning After podcast since 2023, has been fired by the station following a police investigation into allegations that he made sexual advances during a massage, per Detroit Metro Times. Winchester had been on leave since the investigation started, though he returned to the podcast in August after being cleared. The Metro Times was unable to confirm why Winchester was fired, as neither the station nor the attorney provided comment. Winchester was not present on this week’s episode of The Morning After when Stafford announced she was taking a break for a month.
WDIV has the full details of the police report regarding the allegations made against Winchester.
ORIGINAL: Kelly Stafford, the wife of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, announced that she is stepping back from The Morning After podcast to prioritize her mental health and explore the show’s direction.
During Thursday’s episode of the podcast, Stafford appeared with executive producer Kyra Stevens, instead of co-host Hank Winchester, and announced that she would be taking the next four weeks off to work out some things (transcript via New York Post).
“I wanted to let you guys know that I will be taking a break for about a month,” Kelly said. “I’ve just been kind of struggling (with) where I see this thing going. Obviously, I have four daughters and a husband and this podcast is another one of my babies and I love it a lot, but not as much as them. It has been taking more time than I’ve wanted it too. And so, Kyra and I are going to take this month and put our heads together and kind of see where to take it from here.
“As you guys know, I started this podcast to kind of build this community, a community that accepts failure and supports each through it instead of judging. I feel like we can all lean on each other now. I leaned on you guys, i hope that you leaned on this podcast, either for laughter or just to realize that not everything is perfect and it doesn’t have to be.
“For right now, just for somewhat of my mental health and it’s also midseason, there has been changes in this podcast,” Kelly said. “I just think I need to take a step back and kind of figure out what the plan is. I’m not saying this is over. I really need a second.
“My husband doesn’t even know about this. I’m sure this will come as a surprise to him as well. I need to do this for myself first and also for everyone that surrounds me. I love you guys and I’m so grateful for everything that you have given me, which is honestly support and laughter through the DMs and making me feel seen and understood as a mom that struggles.”
It’s been an odd year for the podcast in general. Co-host Hank Winchester returned to the podcast in August after being cleared by a police investigation into an accusation of sexual advances during a massage. The Detroit TV reporter has been co-hosting the podcast with Stafford since 2023.
Stafford did not expand on the changes she had in mind for the program. She added that the show will repurpose older content for the next month before she returns with an update on the show’s direction.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.