NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For nearly two decades, Nikki Burdine lived life on a tight deadline.
Bright studio lights, breaking news alerts, early morning alarms, and the expectation to hold it all together, on air and off.
For 18 years, Burdine worked across multiple markets, eventually landing at WKRN News Channel 2 in Nashville, where she became a familiar and trusted face to Middle Tennessee viewers for eight years.
Today, she’s still telling stories, but on her own terms…and Nashville Fit is getting the scoop!
Now a full-time content creator, influencer, and media coach, Burdine is navigating life after TV news with the same honesty and authenticity that has always been rooted in her.
From newsroom trauma to personal healing, Burdine’s story resonates deeply with anyone who has had to publicly pivot, personally or professionally, in their life.
Burdine had been in TV news for 18 years and it all started in East Tennessee.
Originally from Kingsport, Tennessee, Burdine’s path into journalism began at the University of Tennessee, where she studied journalism with a focus on electronic media.
Like many students, she didn’t enter college knowing exactly where she would land, but knew she would work within the communications industry.
“When I was a freshman at UT, I wanted to do PR,” Burdine said. “I knew I liked being around people and being in a public-facing job.”
A required elective changed everything and she soon found her calling.
“I chose the TV station, The Volunteer Channel and it was almost immediate,” she expressed. “I loved it. I was like, ‘This is what I want to do. This is what I’m meant to do with my life.’”
She soon switched majors, became president of the campus TV station, and helped launch original programming. Her shows included Orange Juice, a broadcast that highlights interesting people in and around campus, to even a nightlife-based show, Knox at Night. “We would just go around to nightlife bars and clubs in Knoxville and interview like drunk people and have them say funny stuff.
That love carried her into local newsrooms across the country from Maryland Kentucky, Washington, D.C., and finally returning home to Tennessee at WKRN News Channel 2.
Burdine worked everything from hard news to crime reporting early in her career, however, her favorite chapter came later.
“My favorite moments were just being on the morning show, I had so much fun,” she said.
The morning show offered a space for personality, humor and humanity, alongside the responsibility of covering serious news and keeping Middle Tennessee informed.
Burdine spent the majority of her time at the news desk sitting next to her former news co-anchor, Neil Orne. WKRN has given both Burdine and Orne a lasting relationship till this day.
“We could still cut up and be a little bit silly, but then when bad stuff happened, we could tell people about that,” Burdine said. “We were really good at switching back and talking about the good parts in our community and being serious when needed.”
Burdine’s coworkers became family. Long shifts, unpredictable schedules, and the shared responsibility of telling the community’s most important stories created a sense of connection that went beyond the newsroom and into real life.
“When you work a weird schedule, we become family,” she laughed.
She also cherished the glamour and fast-paced energy of entertainment reporting, where the lights were brighter, the moments lighter, and the stories had star-power. Covering major events like the CMA Awards allowed her to hoane in on other skills and passions within journalism.
“I love entertainment news and I had so much fun on the red carpet,” she expressed.
But beyond the sparkle and excitement, TV news jobs are notorious for some unwanted days and feelings. As her life evolved and her responsibilities grew, the emotional weight of the work began to surface in ways it hadn’t before, slowly revealing other priorities in her life.
For years, Burdine relied on a skill many journalists use as a coping mechanism—compartmentalization. This became routine for Burdine, as many TV journalists recall having to move quickly yet gracefully from one event to the next.
“I think when I was younger, before I had a family, it was a lot easier to compartmentalize things,” she said.
That ability carried her through some of the most difficult assignments imaginable, particularly during her time reporting in Washington, D.C., where violence and loss were often part of the daily news cycle.
“I would be on a homicide in D.C., interviewing the family [involved] and then I would go sit in the truck and eat breakfast,” Burdine shared.
At the time, she didn’t question the emotional toll. It was simply part of the job which was often rarely addressed in newsrooms.
But motherhood fundamentally reshaped how she started responding to her own emotions.
“After I became a mother, it was a lot harder, especially when the Covenant [School] shooting happened in Nashville .”
The boundaries she once maintained between her work and her personal life began to blur. Stories no longer stayed confined to the newsroom, they followed her home, echoing in quiet moments and reshaping how she viewed the world around her.
Burdine recalled reading details that shook her to the core.
“My daughter was in preschool at the time, and her school was one of the schools that the monster was casing out.”
The weight of that reality was impossible to outrun. The line between journalist and mother became difficult to separate, and the thick skin she had built for nearly two decades prior started to shift.
“I lost it. I had to leave. I had to get off the morning show that day. I just sat at my desk and cried for hours.”
The burnout that Burdine experienced is of many stories people all over newsrooms, as well as nearly every workplace.
When WKRN News Channel 2 decided to part ways with Burdine, she recalled a sense of happiness and relief.
“So how I dealt with it? I didn’t really. And I think that was also part of the reason that whenever I got fired I was like, ‘It’s time.’”
What followed wasn’t just an ending, but an acknowledgment that the pace, pressure, and emotional toll of the industry no longer aligned with the life she was building, or the person she was becoming.
Burdine shared her advice to those still in the TV news industry or hoping to call it a career someday.
“Well, first I would say, are you sure you want to be in this industry?”
She urges journalists to prioritize mental health and understand their power, while also entering the industry with the understanding that it is not for the faint-of-heart. Oftentimes TV newscasters can be thrown into various, unpredictable situations, and Burdine says you need to ensure your saftey at all times.
“When you feel like you’re in a situation that’s dangerous or even if you just mentally don’t feel right, you have to speak up.”
Burnout, she says, shouldn’t be normalized and not retaliated against in the news industry.
“Getting burnt out used to just be a thing of working in news. You don’t have to be like that. Eventually it will catch up with you,” she added.
In 18 years on television, Burdine experienced every version of public scrutiny.
“I remember my very first week on air I got an email from someone telling me my arms were like lunch lady arms,” she laughed. (What does that even mean?!)
She was asked if she was pregnant when she wasn’t, during a time she was struggling with infertility issues.
“I had people tell me I had chubby cheeks, I hate your makeup, I hate your hair, I hate your outfit,” she added.
However, over time the thick skin started to build and it became easier to keep her love and passion for her work at the forefront and greater than any negative comments.
“The older I got, the less I cared about what other people thought,” Burdine shared.
That confidence came slowly, but now she uses that same mindset to lead through life even off-air. “It took me a long time to get there before,” she admits.
Burdine has had to learn from the ground up on how to maintain health and wellness, as appearance was a large part of her job description for may years. However, it wasn’t until she stepped away from the news that she was able to do it right.
“When I was in TV news, I wasn’t fueling my body. I was eating to get through the day,” she said.
Now, movement is intentional and joyful as she hits up local Nashville hotspots.
“I’ve been going to Session Pilates for about six months now, and I love it. Pilates is addictive.”
She also works with a trainer and in-house medical team at Stat Wellness, who provide comprehensive healthcare including women’s health, general, aesthetics, nutrition and more.
“They all talk to each other. It’s all in the same building,” Burdine expressed.
That holistic approach has been transformative and is now allowing Nikki to not just survive but thrive beyond what’s on the outside. “I got way stronger, and things that I didn’t think my body could do anymore just started happening naturally,” she added.
Fitness and strength are family values that are shared in Nikki’s family.
“My dad would ride his bike to the gym every morning and he taught us being active was important.”
Now, she’s mindful of how those values are framed for her daughter, who was born premature at just one pound.
“My goal is to never talk about the way our bodies look, but to say, ‘You are strong.’”
Currently her sister, Alyce owns one of the newest pilates hotspots in East Tennessee, Forte Fitness.
After leaving television, Burdine didn’t disappear. In fact, she did the opposite and hit the ground running. Burdine spends her time as a full-time content creator sharing all the things she loves including beauty, wellness, food, Nashville businesses and more.
“I got fired for content creation, so I might as well capitalize on it,” she laughed. “I love it, it brings me joy.”
She now trains individuals and small groups on media presence and public speaking and continues to co-host the podcast Not the News with her former co-anchor, Neil Orne.
She’s also teasing something bigger on the horizon for the podcast the features the familiar pair.
“I’m working on something for 2026 that I can’t really talk about yet, but it will be a lot like what we used to do.”
Burdine believes transparency is power, especially in the world we live in now. When Burdine was let go by the news station, she opened up about her story during her latest podcast episode. She noted it is something that does not define her and the countless others who have been through something similar.
“If you Google all the famous, successful people who have gotten fired, you’ll be shocked,” she shared.
Now, she’s building a life that feels sustainable, honest, and whole.
“I’m all about trying new things and doing anything that will help give longevity and health.”
And through it all, one thing remains unchanged, she will always tell stories.
Fill out the form and get the latest issue delivered right to your inbox
