Michael Strahan is Leaving Kelly Ripa for GMA

live-with-kelly-and-michael-large-643x441If there’s anyone in the entertainment industry worthy of accolades, it’s Kelly Ripa. The former actress pivoted her soap opera career to an impressive co-starring role beside the beloved Regis Philbin during a time when many suggested that Kathy Lee Gifford was an indispensable partner in crime. And Ripa didn’t let her new role stop her personal life, because she quickly popped out three children with longtime love Mark Consuelos and proudly celebrated her bump on television. While many implied the show could not survive Philbin’s exit, Ripa soared, carrying her rotating co-stars through each episode, which gave the network enough time to find a sufficient replacement for Regis. In fact, the ratings increased. Many articles suggest that the format of ‘Live With Kelly and Michael’ might be responsible for its stellar ratings amidst co-host swaps, but that undermines the true source of the strength, which is Kelly. And though she might play coy, she’s a shrewd talent that knows exactly how to steer her ship. And it is HER ship.

When Michael Strahan announced his departure from Live With Kelly and Michael, it came as a shock to both the public and Kelly herself. GMA is apparently struggling, and Strahan fulfills a target demographic. Because their revenue totals over $300 million per year, they can afford what I can only perceive is a hefty pay raise for the former football star. Strahan is certainly talented and worthy of poaching, but I can’t help but wonder how well he’ll do without Ripa by his side. She should not be concerned, though. This is familiar territory, and she’s a titan.