SURVIVE AMY & T.J.VODKA & POT HELL!

IN A bid to repair their image as cheaters and drum up sympathy, booted Good Morning America hosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes insist they never romped in the sack with each other before splitting with their spouses.

The scandal-tarred lovebirds launched their podcast on Dec. 5 by playing the sympathy card, claiming Holmes was so shattered when their affair was exposed, he bolted from ABC studios at 11 a.m. and was "pounding vodka" and "taking too many [cannabis] edibles" at his pad.

Robach says she was frantic for his safety because "you sent me a text, basically saying, I'm sorry. You were the love of my life. I'm so sorry ... You just kept saying you were sorry. But you were using past tense.