Vinita Nair Leaves 'World News Now'

Feb. 18, 2011 — -- ABC News' Vinita Nair bid farewell to "World News Now" this morning, the early-morning news program she has co-anchored since September 2008. She is also leaving ABC News.

Nair's co-anchor, Rob Nelson, gave her bananas (her favorite fruit), eggs, flowers and vintage champagne during today's goodbye segment.

"This is so much swag," Nair laughed.

"If any of you have ever wondered why I'm such a freak between all these shows, this is why," she added. "It is the most fun staff in the world, take a look at all of these gifts and you can see why it's so hard to leave."

After joining ABC News in 2007, Nair served as an anchor and correspondent for ABC News Now before moving on to ABC's early-morning news programs. Earlier in her career, she was the lead evening reporter and anchor at KWGN-TV, the CW affiliate in Denver, reporting on a variety of topics including the Jon Benet Ramsey murder investigation.

Prior to that, she was an anchor and reporter for KOLN/KGIN-TV in Lincoln, Neb.

Before pursuing a career in television news, Nair worked in radio and print journalism.

Nair is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She is originally from Colleyville, Texas.