Former KHOU 11 anchor Rekha Muddaraj is back on Houston TV—at least for now.

Muddaraj, who signed off from the station in April after more than a decade, has quietly returned to the anchor desk as a guest anchor for CW39 KIAH.

Her appearance comes as part of a temporary fill-in for CW39’s morning anchor Sharron Milton, who is currently in Tennessee judging the Miss Volunteer America Pageant, according to her Instagram.

Muddaraj recently sat down with Miss Grand Pearland 2025, Estefanía Chagolla, who shared her story of surviving a 2021 school shooting.

Longtime local media blogger Mike McGuff speculated that Muddaraj’s guest spot may have been arranged by Liz Roldan, the former KHOU news director who now leads the newsroom at CW39.

It’s unclear how long Muddaraj will remain in the role.

When she left KHOU in April, Muddaraj emphasized that she wasn’t leaving Houston, just stepping away to spend more time with her family. “I’m not leaving Houston,” she wrote in a farewell post. “But I’m excited to take a breather and catch up with my supportive husband, sweet girls, my incredible parents and sister, and family and friends who have graciously excused my absence at various events as I chased my dreams.”

She also left the door open to future news opportunities, writing: “I’m excited to unlock some new ones and explore what’s on the other side.”

Muddaraj joined KHOU in January 2012 as a weekend evening anchor and reporter.

Before that, she spent five years at CBS News 8 KMFB in San Diego, where she won an Emmy Award for her reporting.

She began her career at KOAM 7 in Pittsburg, Kan., covering news across Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

She is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and is married to Dr. Neil Badlani. They have three daughters.