Sade Baderinwa


Folasade Olayinka Baderinwa, known professionally as Sade Baderinwa, is a broadcast journalist. Since 2003, she has been a news anchor at WABC-TV, the ABC flagship station in New York, and currently co-anchors the weekday 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts of Eyewitness News with Bill Ritter.

Early life and education

Baderinwa was born to a Nigerian father and a German mother. Her first name, "Folasade" in Yoruba language, means "Honor confers a crown". At age seven, her mother no longer took part in her life and her father returned to Africa, leaving her in the custody of a family friend. She was subsequently adopted by now-former WBAL-TV anchor, Edie House, with additional support from House's parents, in Baltimore. When Baderinwa was 12, her birth mother eventually took her in to live with her family in nearby Montgomery County.
She has since continued to maintain contact with her biological parents, as well as with her adoptive family.
Baderinwa graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources with a degree in agricultural business and resource economics.

Career

Baderinwa began her career as a production assistant for ABC News' various programs, including This Week With David Brinkley, Nightline, World News Tonight, and News One. She went on to become a reporter trainee at WUSA-TV, the CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C., before becoming a reporter at WSLS-TV, the NBC affiliate in Roanoke, Virginia.
Baderinwa joined WBAL-TV, the NBC affiliate in Baltimore, in February 2000. There, she anchored the morning and noon newscasts and also hosted a weekly community affairs show.

WABC-TV (2003-present)

In 2003, Baderinwa joined WABC-TV as a reporter and anchor for the noon newscast of Eyewitness News before being promoted to anchor the 5 p.m. newscast with now-former co-anchor Diana Williams, who retired in 2019. She replaced Roz Abrams, who left WABC in 2003 to take over the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. anchor duties at WCBS-TV, the CBS station in New York.
On July 23, 2004, while preparing a report on location in Hackensack, New Jersey about local flooding, she was struck by a hit and run driver who went through police lines. After multiple surgeries and months of recovery and physical therapy, Baderinwa returned to Eyewitness News on December 13, 2004, but continued receiving physical therapy five times a week following her return. The driver in the collision was never caught.
In May 2011, Baderinwa became co-anchor of the 11 p.m. newscast with Bill Ritter, replacing Liz Cho, who vacated the slot to anchor the new 4 p.m newscast, which debuted after the end of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Other appearances

On October 27, 2006, Baderinwa appeared on The View as a guest co-host.
She has also been a regular moderator at the United Nations' celebration of International Women's Day.