He was a clean cut anchor who won awards for reading the news on Fox, NBC and CBS.
But after 23 years Jim Walker decided the stress of the job was too much – and reinvented himself as gay porn star Dallas Steele.
The 44-year-old even got butt implants – which were paid for by an escort client.
And he claims he has no regrets.
“I’m much more successful in every measure than I ever was before,” he said in an interview with a porn website.
“I left the business in 2013 after my boss in Southwest Florida told me that research had shown ‘people here just don’t like you’,” he added.
“Add to that, the immense pressure of daily ratings where your job is virtually on the line every single day.”
Walker says he doesn’t really miss his old job at all at all.
“I get asked daily by porn fans if I miss TV news. I miss telling great stories, I miss the rush of sharing breaking news and I miss getting to know viewers,” he said.
“What I don’t miss is the schizophrenic management at every station that can’t decide from day to day what they want, and as a result are constantly blaming the talent and trying to make the talent be something they aren’t.”
His unorthodox career change has made the muscly performer a target for online trolls – many accusing him of having a mid-life crisis.
But he hit back at his critics stating: “I’m sorry if the haters have decided that gays over 40 are supposed to put on the board shorts, move to the suburbs and settle down to bridge parties once per week.
“I don’t plan to ever go quietly into the night.”