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The heart and soul of the show will always stay.

If there’s one thing ABC is undeniably good at, it’s medical dramas. Right now, the network is home to not one, but two of the longest-running shows, one in daytime and one in primetime. However, if General Hospital fans were not worried about their favorite soap surviving a few more years, Grey’s Anatomy entered a danger zone.

While everyone celebrated the anniversary renewal, the feelings were bittersweet. On the one hand, it’s nice to know that the show will live on, even with the departure of so much of its core cast. On the other hand, it is starting to feel pointless to tune in at all.

Getting rid of Ellen Pompeo might have been a deal breaker that would have caused many viewers to turn their backs on the show. But so far, there is no talk of that ever happening.

Is Ellen Pompeo Leaving Grey’s Anatomy?

One person who has made Grey’s Anatomy the wonderful show that it is is Ellen Pompeo.

As Meredith Grey from 2004 to the present, she has done an amazing job of showing how the title character has grown from a green intern to a strong and independent woman, a thoughtful friend, a loving mother and, of course, a brilliant surgeon.

Without her, many long-time viewers believe, there would be no reason to watch the show at all.

But according to new showrunner Meg Marinis, who takes over Grey’s Anatomy this season, there’s no need to worry. If anyone is going to stay on in one capacity or another, it’s Ellen Pompeo. And she will always be welcome back on set:

“We have an open door policy with her. When she is able to be here, we welcome her with open arms. We work with her schedule, she still does the voiceover. <…> Even in the episodes that she’s not in, she’s interested to know what’s happening. So, you’ll see her come and go and she will always remain a very important part to the show,” Marinis said to Deadline.

So far, it is believed that Meredith Grey will appear in at least 4 episodes of Grey’s, but there is no official confirmation.

No matter how busy Ellen Pompeo’s schedule gets, she’ll still be a part of the show, narrating the episodes, and that’s something that’s not going to change anytime soon.

If Grey’s Anatomy is greenlit for season 21 at ABC in the same format that season 20 was filmed, fans may still be ready for some changes in how much Pompeo they’ll see and how much work she’ll do off-camera. For now, though, that’s nothing to worry about.

To join the longest-running medical drama on television in a wild celebration of two full decades on the air, be sure to tune in to ABC on March 14 to not miss the first episode of season 20. Keep an eye out for more news and behind-the-scenes updates!