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TVWeek, NY Post

Forget September — Michael Strahan Is Leaving ABC’s ‘Live’ a Lot Sooner … and You May Be Able to Guess Why

Apr 27, 2016  •  Post A Comment

In the latest twist in the debacle that has been ABC’s handling of the lineup change at “Live! with Kelly and Michael,” co-host Michael Strahan gave his two weeks’ notice Tuesday — the same day Kelly Ripa made an emotional return to the show.

Strahan’s exit had been set for September, when he will join “Good Morning America” full time. Instead, he will now make his last appearance on “Live” May 13.

Strahan will still join “GMA” in September, and he will reportedly continue to fill in occasionally at “GMA” in the interim.

“The move comes after Kelly Ripa flew into a rage after she was informed that Strahan was leaving the show less than an hour before the press release went out last week,” The New York Post’s Page Six reports. “Insiders told Page Six that Ripa and Strahan’s relationship had already been strained before this drama, and now, ‘While they will be civil on air, things are beyond repair.’”

The early front-runner in the search for a replacement for Strahan at “Live” is said to be CNN fixture Anderson Cooper.

ABC released a statement confirming the Strahan plans. “After meeting with the producers of both ‘Live’ and ‘Good Morning America,’ and after speaking with Kelly and Michael, we have decided on a plan that best advantages both shows for the future,” the network said. “To that end, Michael’s last day on ‘Live’ will be on Friday, May 13, which not only gives the show the chance to have a nice send-off for him during the May book, but to also immediately begin the on-air search for a new co-host.

“This plan also allows ‘GMA’ to start integrating Michael into the show more often this summer before his full-time start in September.”

abc-live with kelly and michael

4 Comments

  1. Kelly is being a brat. I’m done-when Michael leaves so do I.

    Sheesh.

  2. And you really think anyone at ABC cares what you, or I or anyone, thinks. If I was Kelly, I too would be upset in not finding out about the change but just a short while B/4 it was announced. I would be upset at both ABC and at Michael Strahan. They both knew he had discussed the move but neither one had the courtesy to inform her the move was in the works. Shows no class on either ABC’s or Michael Strahan’s part. Kelly found out that Regis was leaving just 20 minutes B/4 he announced it on live TV. I can sympathize with her feeling like she is the Rodney Dangerfield of TV personalities. In retrospect, I think her response was relatively muted versus what some other people might have done.

  3. Well, in the real world, where ppl have regular 9-5 jobs, no one expects their co-workers to tell them in advance and they are not obligated under any employment laws to tell their co-workers that they got a new job or a promotion and are leaving the company bc frankly it’s really none of the co-workers business what the other co-worker decides to do with his or her life. In fact, in the large corporate offices, I’ve only seen ppl finding out that a co-worker is moving on only after that co-worker puts in their two week notice. So, if there is something I’m missing here, such as TV personalities thinking they are super-Human and almighty better than everyone else in the real world so that they just expect to always get the “star” treatment, I really don’t see what’s with all the drama. So, spare me the tears & the violins and get over yourself Ripa. ALL u TV personalities get well over paid that u should NEVER COMPLAIN about anything. You live the good life period. There are ppl in the world RIGHT NOW, struggling to pay bills, find a job, and just making ends meet. People who take on 2-3 jobs to raise their kids but still only make a tiny fraction of your salary. Wow, how grateful those ppl would be just to do your easy air conditioned job for even half your salary. Unfortunately those people who understand what grateful means, who work hard and sweat at tough manual labor jobs will never be given the cushy opportunities that you lucked out and got. SO THINK hard and long before throwing a fit next time over what most offices outside the entertainment industry deem as normal behavior to not confide in their co-workers what they plan to do with the future of their careers. Micheal didn’t do anything wrong. He’s not obligated to tell you anything about his life, career goals and future. That’s his life, his decisions & he doesn’t need your approval to move on. As long as you are not getting fired, what difference does it really make in the big scope of life? How much did you actually “suffer”? Did you suffer as much as people who starve bc they don’t know where their next meal is coming from bc they are unemployed? If you’ve never even felt hunger pains in your life because you couldn’t afford to buy food, then u really haven’t suffered too much in life. So get over yourself, & don’t dramatize things on TV and pretend like your life is sooooo unfair. You can start complaining about how bad your life is, when you start making $0/hr everyday and get your home foreclosed on and u live on the sidewalk cold & hungry. Then sure, then tell me how hard your life is and how badly you were treated. As long as you still have your job, you should just be grateful. Not every one gets to work for one company for 20yrs. That in itself is a gift and a privilage. Some people actually experience company lay-offs in their career lifetime and there’s nothing they can do about it. You need to put things into perspective. That’s what’s wrong with privileged ppl, they always forget about the real world and real people and real problems in real life.

  4. I agree with the above.

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