Kelly Ripa returned to ‘Live With Kelly and Michael’ after a press firestorm surrounding Strahan’s abrupt departure to ‘Good Morning America.’ Though it might seem impossible to make light of a difficult situation, Ripa stayed true to her classy form with some funny jokes and genuine honesty. She said she deserved to take two days off after over two decades with ABC, and she’s been assured that her show is in fact a priority. She also said there were snipers with tranquilizer darts ready in case she went off script. Strahan seemed to take it in stride, once again assuring Ripa that she is the Queen and he’s honored to have worked beside her. Their love-fest was short-lived; however, because it’s recently been revealed that Strahan will leave earlier than expected.
In everyday life, when one is upset with the executives in charge, he or she might call in sick in silent defiance and fly under the radar. Ripa is not given that same luxury, because the world is watching. I’ve previously noted that she has been given sexist treatment from the media and I still must tip my hat to her maturity. As for Strahan, I don’t blame him for taking a higher-paying job, but I think it’s the wrong move. To quote Andy Cohen, when your name is in the title of a show, how could you forgo that in favor of an ensemble? It must also be noted that Ripa can find solace in the fact that ABC will be punished for their poor, disrespectful move, because it has impacted Strahan’s squeaky clean image, which will make it more difficult to win viewers at his new post. So good job, guys.