The most entertaining/awkward show on television these days did not fail to disappoint this morning.
On the latest installment of Live with Kelly and Michael, the co-hosts finally decided to tell viewers that Michael Strahan will be leaving the program on May 13.
When Strahan initially announced he was departing Live! for a full-time anchoring gig on Good Morning America, he had set September as his end date.
But then Ripa got angry over how she was told of the news… staged a brief boycott… returned with a speech about “respect” in the work place… and Strahan’s departure date was moved up four months.
There was a statement by ABC and everything, yet Kelly and Michael didn’t actually address Strahan’s impending final episode until today.
And it went down in very awkward fashion, of course.
“A week from this Friday is Michael’s final show here at Live!,” said Ripa, as the audience began booing.
One attendee then shouted “we still love you, Kelly!” and Ripa quipped:
“Thanks! I’m still here!”
She’s very broken up about Strahan’s switching programs, as you can tell.
As for what viewers can expect from Michael’s last episode?
“We’ll remember. We’ll reminisce,” he said. “We’re going to look back at the fun times we’ve had together – wait till you see all the stuff that we’ve done, you’re not going to believe it.”
Most loyal fans can’t believe the recent report that ran down all the ways in which Strahan sucks backstage.
“Join us for Michael’s Flashback Friday Farewell on Friday the 13th,” Ripa said, prior to cracking up over the ominous date and adding:
“You can’t plan this! You literally cannot plan it.”
That’s actually exacted what ABC executives did. They planned the date on which Strahan would leave. But whatever.
Strahan, meanwhile, attended the MET Gala in New York City on Monday night.
Asked by Entertainment Tonight about his upcoming gig, he said all the right things about his soon-to-be-formed one:
“I’m looking forward to [GMA], but I still look forward to going to work at Live!. I love being there. I still love it.”
Really, Michael? Even during exchanges such as the one below?
