Andy Cohen: Michael Strahan Is A Moron For Leaving Live!

Like death and taxes, you can always rely on Andy Cohen for a good bit of goss.

The producer/Bravolebrity is tight with Kelly Ripa and her husband, Mark Consuelos, but even he is surprised by Michael Strahan’s departure from Live! for Good Morning America.

“I’ve been a TV executive, or a producer, for 25 years, so I’m always fascinated to see how TV things go down. I can’t say this went down in the greatest way,” Cohen said.

“He had this great relationship on TV and it was a big, bad breakup.

“When I look at this whole situation, it’s worth noting that the two of them, Kelly and Michael, they had such great chemistry — such great chemistry.

“And I’m just looking at this — it just seems like a premature end to a great relationship. It ended way too prematurely, and I think so much has been written about this situation and how it was handled,” Cohen, pointed out.

What he finds weird is that Strahan wants to move from daytime to news.

“The thing that no one is talking about is to me, the job of cohosting Live is the greatest job in TV,” he said.

“And she’s so good at it and he was so good at it, but it’s a job that you take and you take it for life. She’s been at that job for 15 years,” Cohen added. 

“I can’t get over that he left Live where it was the best show … Live with Kelly and Michael — your name is in the freakin’ title. You can spend your life here,” he said, adding that the paycheck made things all the more enticing.

“You can spend 15 years here and make serious bank, by the way.” 

Cohen doesn’t get how you go from a gig like that to sharing air time with several different people.

“He left and went to GMA. He’s now with five people sitting at that crowded anchor desk. It’s like 18 co-anchors,” Cohen joked.

“And here’s my thing — what happens if the ratings don’t go up? … What is going to happen to [this] sweet man?”

Ripa and Live!, Cohen said, will have moved on by that point.

“You know who I think would be great at that job?  My buddy AC, [Anderson] Cooper. He would be so good cohosting that show.”

Whatever happens, Ripa’s return on April 26th will be nothing short of compelling.

“I am really looking forward to tomorrow on Live,” Cohen admitted.

“I can’t wait to see what she says. Who isn’t going to be watching that?”

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Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan: They Always Hated Each Other!

According to a recent report, Michael Strahan has not spoken to Kelly Ripa since a meeting with ABC executives on Tuesday in which the latter learned the former was leaving for Good Morning America.

According to another recent report, however, this should come as no surprise.

Because Ripa and Strahan never got along.

“It was all for the show,’’ an insider close to Ripa tells The New York Post of Kelly and Michael’s supposedly cordial relationship.

“They could not stand each other, and whenever they communicated off-camera, it was always through their reps.”

Ripa has reportedly remained angry all week; less over Strahan receiving a raise to co-anchor GMA full-time (starting in September) than over the delay in her finding out about this network decision.

Kelly believes she deserves to have been told about this major change to Live! in advance of the public finding out about it.

In response, Ripa did not show up for Wednesday’s episode of the program and no one is certain when she’ll return.

Strahan – a former New York Giants defensive star – was already working two days a week at GMA, on top of co-hosting Live! each morning… and the stress was allegedly taking its toll.

“He was having temper tantrums,” Page Six writes.

“He’d lose it, yelling at [Ripa] and [executive producer Michael] Gelman. He acted like he was in a locker room, not a dressing room.”

A source close to Strahan, however, insists that Michael was advised by network higher-ups to remain mum on his new GMA role.

This same source refutes the notion that Kelly and Michael only spokes through middle men, but does acknowledge that plenty of “tension” existed between the colleagues.

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Ripa, meanwhile, was replaced this morning by Erin Andrews.

The reporter tried to joke with Strahan, asking if anything of note had been going on with him, to which Michael laughed and replied “Too soon! Too soon!”

Michael Strahan and Erin Andrews on Live!

To many, though, Ripa cannot return to Live! soon enough.

But will she return to a chair across from Strahan?

“I don’t believe that co-hosting together is a viable option anymore,” a source tells People Magazine.

“Anything is possible, but that doesn’t seem like a viable option. Practically, it’s a different dynamic now.”

Michael Strahan: Giving the Silent Treatment to Kelly Ripa!

Earlier this week, after confirming his departure from Live with Kelly and Michael, Michael Strahan appeared on the Good Morning America set and referred to Kelly Ripa as part of his “family.”

But there’s clearly a growing feud within this family that even Steve Harvey would have trouble mending.

An insider tells E! News that the Live! co-hosts still have not spoken since the ABC executive meeting held on Tuesday morning in which Ripa learned that Strahan would be moving to GMA in September.

As has been well documented at this point, Ripa was livid over how the situation was handled, as she was told of the news right around the same time as the public.

Kelly did not appear on the subsequent Live! episode on Wednesday, which featured Strahan awkwardly acknowledging his co-host of four years only toward the end of the broadcast:

Michael Strahan Announces Live! Departure

Despite the fact that Strahan has not made a point to reach out to Ripa, “he has no bad blood towards her… and is looking forward to start his new chapter with his new team,” a source tells E!.

Strahan did mention Ripa at length during his appearance yesterday on GMA, telling his future co-workers and the audience at home:

“I’m going to miss everybody at Live!.

“I’ve been sitting next to Kelly every day and having a lot of fun on that show for the last four years. I’m very thankful for her – to her -because I learned so much from her.”

Ripa, meanwhile, has not said a word about the transition or how it went down.

She is off on a previously scheduled vacation with her family and will not appear again on Live! until Tuesday at the earliest.

Erin Andrews will serve as guest co-host again today and Shay Mitchell will fill in on Monday.

At this point, it’s likely that Ripa will remain on the show because she’s getting paid nearly $ 15 million per year and no feud is worth forfeiting that contract.

But might she walk when the deal is over? Might she return to the world of soap operas where her career started? We doubt it.

Still… stay tuned!

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Michael Strahan Leaving LIVE!, Heading to GMA

Michael Strahan is making another career move.

After spending four years sitting alongside Kelly Ripa on LIVE! With Kelly and Michael, the former New York Giants defensive star is leaving the program to join Good Morning America as a full-time reporter.

This is what Strahan had to say about the decision: 

“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.

“My time with LIVE with Kelly and Michael has been transformative, and my departure will be bittersweet. Kelly has been an unbelievable partner, and I am so thankful to her and the entire team.

“I am extremely grateful for the amazing support I’ve received from all of the fans.”

The 44-year old ex-sack specialist replaced Regis Philbin on LIVE! in 2012.

He joined the Good Morning America  team part-time in 2014, making two appearances a week.

Starting in September, however, Strahan will join Robin Roberts, Lara Spencer and George Stephanopoulos as a full-time cast member.

This leads to the next obvious question: Who will replace Strahan opposite Ripa each morning?

Perhaps Anderson Cooper? Mark Consuelos? Andy Cohen? Jerry Seinfeld?!?

We can think of a few movie stars who should break into television some time soon. Here is their chance!

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