“But you said 13 is lucky”, she said to Michael. “I’m six-foot-five above the ground”. During their opening desk chat, Ripa and Strahan bantered about their respective nights: Strahan went to a fancy event; Ripa and her husband ran into Alex Rodriguez at a bar.
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“We did it”, Strahan said. “And I’m still available to come back”, he said.
Prior to the former National Football League pro’s final episode on the daytime talk show, a source close to the show told ET that Live! producers didn’t want to make Strahan’s last day “too celebratory”, because they felt it would “seem disingenuous due to all the known drama”.
At the end of the episode, Ripa presented Strahan with a few parting gifts, including a framed picture of them in their infamous “short shorts”, a photo album, and a bronzed pair of size 16 heels that Strahan wore on the show.
‘As part of Michael’s Flashback Friday Farewell, this is your flashback. You have given us so much joy in the mornings, from your smile to your sense of humor to your terrible French accent. “You can fill in for me”, Ripa joked.
We think it’s safe to say Kelly clearly got exactly what she wanted out of all this!
Ripa tells “People” magazine that a search for Strahan’s replacement needs to get underway before the show’s upcoming summer hiatus. You always conduct yourself with great intelligence and generosity and I wish you the best’.
“We came to celebrate with you”.
Strahan responded; ‘I don’t know about that.
Ripa eventually transitioned into a segment that looked back at Strahan’s finest moments on the program. “We doubled the price”, Gelman said. They’ve been putting on happy faces since Michael announced he was leaving last month, so we couldn’t wait to see how it all went down. When guest Matt Bomer delivered a lengthy paean to both hosts’ talents, Ripa had the grace to seem a bit embarrassed.
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The episode featured retrospective clips of Strahan’s tenure, which began in 2012 when he succeeded Regis Philbin as Ripa’s regular co-host on the syndicated morning show distributed by Disney/ABC TV. “I’m not dying. I’m still in the family”, he said. You let me into your home every day for four years.
