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After a week of alternative co-hosts and rumors of behind-the-scenes drama, Kelly Ripa returned to her spot alongside Michael Strahan at the desk on Live! With Kelly and Michael this morning.
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock, Michael Strahan announced he was leaving the show after about four years to work full-time on Good Morning America last week. Kelly Ripa was not happy about the news, reportedly feeling blindsided and upset about how she was told.
She returned today, walking in with a huge smile on her face to cheers and a standing ovation from the live studio audience. Instead of taking their usual spots at the desk, Kelly took a spot in front of the camera saying, “Our long national nightmare is over.”
“I sincerely want to thank you for welcoming me back to this stage,” she said. “The show of support through this bizarre time has been really overwhelming. I needed a couple of days to gather my thoughts. After 26 years with this company, I’ve earned the right. And let’s be honest – I know half of you called in sick to be here so we get each other.”
“In that time I gained some perspective. I always speak from the heart – I didn’t want to come out here and say something I might regret. What has transpired though over a course of a few days has been extraordinary in the sense that it started a much greater conversation about communication, and consideration, and most importantly respect in the workplace. Since we’re being honest, I don’t consider this just a workplace. This is my second home.”
She thanked the Live! team and called them her family.
“Apologies have been made,” Kelly shared, along with the fact that the network is committed to keeping the show alive.
“I am thrilled for Michael,” she said. “This is a tremendous opportunity, and I couldn’t be – and we couldn’t be – prouder of you and everything we accomplished together.”
Kelly then announced that the show about entertainment, so let’s get into it.
Watch the announcement here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhua_LejZno
Kelly and Michael then returned to their usual spots at the desk, where Michael thanked her for their time together and called her the “queen of morning television.”
About the Caribbean vacation last week, Kelly swears that the trip was planned to celebrate her 20th anniversary with her husband, Mark Consuelos. Just bad timing, apparently.
