Michael Strahan Loves GMA, Doesn"t Miss Kelly Ripa

Michael Strahan has said goodbye to Kelly Ripa.

And he"s basically saying good riddance as well.

Not in those exact words, of course, but it"s pretty clear at this point that the former football star and co-host of Live with Kelly and Michael is happy with his new career course.

Back in the spring, Strahan announced he was leaving his full-time position at Live for a full-time position at Good Morning America, a decision that was apparently news to Ripa.

She was upset that she learned of the move at the last second, and she made her dissatisfaction pretty well known.

After not appearing on her own program for a couple days, Ripa returned to Live and then awkwardly sat next to Strahan for a few weeks until he made his departure. 

It was the epitome of trainwreck television.

So, how does Strahan feel about his new gig, which got underway this week?

Quite awesome, thank you very much!

“GMA has been great. It’s earlier obviously,” Strahan told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show on Wednesday.

He continued:

“I’m getting up a lot earlier. I start at 7, I’ve got to be there a little earlier than that, but it’s been great because it’s so interesting and I’m learning.

"So every job I’ve had I’ve just learned along the way, and this one is interesting because of all the stories involving so many different things that are new to me and I’m loving it.”

Strahan didn"t talk about leaving Ripa at all.

But his silence spoke volumes.

“I’m cool, like now, but the second the cameras go off or somebody walks up to me, I’m like this,” he said, bowing his head and looking away.

“And when I was a kid and I played football and I was 7 or 8 I cried the entire game. I didn’t like the applause. I didn’t like the cheering. It scared me. I didn’t like the attention, and I still don’t in some ways."

As for Kelly? She made her own announcement on Wednesday.

She is yet to decide on a replacement for Strahan, but she"ll soon be welcoming a fan to sit next to her for one special episode.

Using social media, someone out there can actually serve as co-host one morning down the line.

"Now it"s time to put your mouths where your thumbs are," Ripa quipped yesterday morning, after noting that she’d read social media comments calling her job easy.

"I"m building a co-host empire."

Watch Strahan speak to Fallon about football below and sound off: Do you miss him on Live?

NeNe Leakes To The Real Housewives of Atlanta: See Ya!

NeNe Leakes will not be returning to The Real Housewives of Atlanta for the upcoming ninth season. 

There’s been a lot of mixed reports about whether Leakes would be participating on the next season of the reality hit, but she has now set the record straight. 

Her days of being one of the housewives are behind her and she’s moving on. 

This is a huge blow to the series as Leakes has got to be the best person on it. 

She can effortlessly create drama out of nothing and the show will not be the same without her. 

NeNe has left before, so there’s every reason to believe that she could pop back up in a future season. 

With Leakes out of the show, would producers really approach someone else to stop by for a return visit?

It sounds that way. 

Leakes revealed that she thinks Kim Zolciak-Biermann could be set to appear in her place. 

What a crazy turn of events. Right?!

“I heard once they couldn’t work their deal out with me, they went to Kim Zolciak,” Leakes revealed.

This makes it sound like Kim was second best for producers, but NeNe was quick to back her claim up.

“I’m just telling you the truth!”

Everyone appeared to be stunned by the declaration. 

NeNe knows she is a draw with viewers. 

That’s why she was wheeling and dealing to get a huge pay rise a few months ago if she returned.

Leakes went on to explain that she she only wanted to guest star on the show here and there, but a deal could not be reached. 

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“When we couldn’t work the deal out on me making appearances, then they went to Kim to work the same thing, I suppose,” Leakes said.

“I’m assuming she took it.”

Fans would no doubt settle for a return from Kim, but there’s one huge thing that would hold all of this up: Kim is leaving Atlanta. 

Yes, with Kroy Biermann signing with the Buffalo Bills, it means a change in locale for the couple. 

This certainly throws a wrench in that theory. 

Now, there is every possibility she could pop up every so often, but her appearances wouldn’t make much sense if she doesn’t even live in Atlanta. 

The last time Kim was seen on the show, she stormed out of a lunch date with the ladies after a huge argument. 

It wasn’t the best exit, but it was thrilling to watch it all play out. 

Maybe she has unfinished business. 

Nene Leakes Returns To RHOA: “Yes, B–ches, I am Back!”

There’s no telling what would go down if she was to return to the show, but might it spell the end for Don’t Be Tardy?

Ratings were sinking for Zolciak’s reality series, so maybe she could return to try and stay in the public eye for longer. 

A new season of Don’t Be Tardy kicks off next week, but there’s no definite answer as of yet whether it will serve as a swan song for the reality series. 

The show has its moments, but it isn’t all that. 

It can be tedious to watch. 

Leakes closed off her chat about the show with some words about Kim. 

Well, as nice as Leakes could muster. 

“I think it’s going to be really odd,” she admits.

“Kim hadn’t been around the show for a while. It’s going to be odd having Kim back. But I think the fans want to see her though.”

What do you think about this? 

Should Kim return?

Hit the comments below!

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Farrah Abraham: Announces Daughter"s Insane New Business Venture

Farrah Abraham has no problem making tabloid headlines on her own, but these days she’s receiving assistance from the business partner who helped propel her to fame in the first place.

Yes, Farrah is shaping her 7-year-old daughter Sophia into a regular mini-me, and not surprisingly, she’s stirring up a fair amount of controversy in the process.

In particular, Sophia’s modeling career has resulted in some heavy criticism of Farrah’s parenting.

Sure, Farrah shoving her kid into the spotlight at an age when most kids are focusing on the first weeks of second grade, is more than a little creepy, but it’s not as bad as when Farrah talks about Sophia’s future porn career.

(Yes, that actually happened.)

But anyway, in Farrah’s world, there’s no such thing as bad press.

View Slideshow: Farrah Abraham Parenting Fails: A Brief History of WTF?!

So despite the occasional disagreement (such as the one that recently led Farrah to call Sophia a “stupid heathen”), by Farrah’s standards, the business relationship is going swimmingly.

Of course, if you follow Farrah on social media, you know that she launches a new business venture about once a month.

(Whether or not she had any role in their operations after slapping her name on these vanity projects is anyone’s guess.)

So it was only a matter of time before Sophia moved on from the world of modeling to become a CEO in her own right.

Yesterday marked the opening of the Sophia Laurent Boutique – a high-end-sounding children’s store that’s nominally owned by the 7-year-old daughter of a reality/porn star.

Naturally, Farrah and Sophia marked the occasion by posting countless pics on social media.

Some of them were on Farrah’s page, some on the store’s own Instagram account, and some on Sophia’s.

Yes, the girl has her own Instagram page, which is odd not only because she’s 7, but also because a scandal erupted over Sophia’s Snapchat account just last month, when users reported that she was up late at night asking strangers to message her.

As for the store itself, the IG page claims Sophia Laurent will specialize in selling “toys and designer clothing for newborns and children up to 12 years old.”

Farrah posted the below video from the grand opening…

Farrah & Sophia Abraham Launch New Business!

…along with a caption reading,  “7 years old & a boss #BossBaby more exciting news to come.”

Yes, apparently Farrah believes that 7-year-olds are both and babies and capable of running their own businesses.

She’s a very confused woman, to put it mildly.

Tom Hiddleston: I Dumped Taylor Swift, Not The Other Way Around!

Just when Tom Hiddleston thought he escaped the unfathomable hell of dating Taylor Swift, he’s pulled right back in.

The cycle of a break-up always includes the inevitable question, “Who broke up with whom?“

It’s all very he said/she said, but Hiddleston, for one, is not going to sit back and let people assume it was Swift who ended things. 

“The reports are wide of the mark and come as news to all Tom’s friends,” a source, who worked with Hiddleston on the 2014 stage production of Coriolanus, told UK’s Heat Magazine.

“He grew tired of Taylor, it wasn’t the other way round.

“Tom drifted from her and it had nothing to do with her being put off by the publicity.”

Hiddleston, it appears, rather prefers being a singleton.  

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Also, he might have ADD.

“It’s more to do with the fact he’s a commitment-phobe who gets bored very easily.”

People announced Hiddleston and Swift’s break-up on September 6th, though no reason for the split was given.

Many were convinced that the set-up was a publicity stunt, put on to keep the two relevant.

In July, a source close to Hiddleston told The Hollywood Gossip that it was, indeed, all for show.

“Tom and Taylor’s relationship was initially set up by Taylor’s PR team after they bumped into each other at Anna Wintour’s house-party,” the source explained.

The reason?  Swift wasn’t making music, but wanted to remain in the spotlight until she released her next album.

“Tom was prepared to go along with it because he believed that he and Taylor would be able to find something in common with each other.  At least have some fun together. 

“It worked, and whilst he does care about Taylor, he is now beginning to realize that he may have made a mistake after she insisted upon them meeting each other’s parents within the space of twenty four hours.” 

Yeah…that’s a bit much.

“Taylor is practically glued to his side,” the source added.

View Slideshow: Taylor Swift & Tom Hiddleston Break Up: The World Reacts

“After only one month of dating, she is talking about moving in with him, getting married, and having children with him.”

And just like Heat’s source, this one brought up Hiddleston’s commitment issues.

“Tom has always had huge commitment issues, so Taylor talking to him about those things, and after such a short amount of time, is really beginning to freak him out.”

Another source told Radar Online last month that Hiddleston was sick of being a “glorified escort” for Swift.

“Tom can’t deal with being a laughing stock and has told Taylor he’s done unless there’s a 360-degree change on her part.

“It bothers him so much that they’ve become known as this fauxmance laughing stock.”

Hiddleston will be at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards on September 18th, since he’s nominated for his role in the miniseries, The Night Manager.

Meanwhile, Swift will be writing some new songs…