“I look forward to continuing to work with the incredible team at “GMA.’ It is an exciting opportunity to be able to bring unique stories and voices to the audience”.
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Ripa told Live! With Kelly & Michael staffers in an email Friday night she would return to the show Tuesday.
On Ripa’s abrupt leave from the show, Strahan expressed his gratitude for learning the daytime business under her tutelage.
Reports say she felt particularly betrayed by Strahan, who told her he would be leaving their show in September mere minutes before an official announcement was sent to the press.
“They should have told her in the beginning”, he said. There had reportedly been tension between the two for a while, and Strahan’s sudden exit just made the feud worse. “I’ve seen them together chatty a million times”.
Sources close to the production have said that executives at ABC are considering either canceling the show, or possibly moving it to a later hour to try and add a THIRD hour of Good Morning America.
Ripa was expected to remain away from Live! until Tuesday-she had requested time off work to celebrate her and Mark Consuelos’ 20th wedding anniversary with a vacation in Turks and Caicos, E! There had been speculation that the network would expand GMA into LIVE’s 9 a.m. EST time slot. But while Ripa isn’t taking the news well, her former co-host Regis Philbin has offered his congratulations to Strahan.
Regardless of how Strahan’s departure was handled by ABC execs, Philbin wishes the 44-year-old former National Football League pro all the best in his forthcoming gig.
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Kelly Ripa comments on Michael Strahan’s leaving “Live!” in an email to staff. Pictured: Kelly at the NY premiere of “All We Had” during the Tribeca Film Festival on April 15, 2016. Ripa is set to return Tuesday, and naturally there’s been a lot of media-world interest in all the juicy details. She and Michael always had a decent relationship. Actress Shay Mitchell of “Pretty Little Liars” is scheduled to co-host the show with Strahan tomorrow morning. Live has successfully transitioned co-hosts twice before and will do so again. “I’m very thankful to her because I learned so much from her and [LIVE producer] Michael Gelman”. She reportedly told WABC general manager Dave Davis, “Didn’t I tell you this was going to happen?”
