Michael Strahan 'Good Morning America' Update: Did Kelly Ripa Cause Him To Leave Their Show Earlier Than Expected? [VIDEO]
There's a new report that says Kelly Ripa's co-host Michael Strahan is stepping down from Live! four months earlier than expected.
According to People Magazine on Tuesday, things may not have go too well when Ripa and Strahan were forced to co-host their show after her brief vacation to Turks and Caicos last week. Rumors indicated that she was upset and totally "blindsided" over the news that he is leaving to go to Good Morning America without her knowledge.
One source told the site, "May 13 is his last show. He'll take the summer off and GMA can integrate him early before September, and this will give Live! more time to find the co-host. He's totally fine that. Now he can enjoy his summer."
If that weren't enough, Ripa's standoff from work may have caused friction between the now former friends. She even joked on Tuesday's show that the "long national nightmare is over," referencing her departure from last week.
An insider added that ABC executives apologized to Strahan for putting him an awkward position on the show.
The tipster explained, "They admitted that they handled it wrong and put him in a terrible position. The network decided and the show decided that they wanted more time to find the cohost. He's fine either way."
So far Ripa herself has not made any additional comments.
