Executives at ABC are not happy with Michael Strahan, claims a source close to the network, after the newly-appointed Good Morning America host gave an interview in which he reignited his feud with former Live co-host Kelly Ripa.
‘They were livid,’ the source told DailyMail.com about the reaction of multiple executives when they read the story.
‘Things had finally calmed down and then he goes and does this interview, throwing [ABC president] Ben Sherwood under the bus.’
Just last week, Ben Sherwood publicly apologized for the way Starhan’s exit was handled, telling The Hollywood Reporter: ‘We made some mistakes, we fixed them quickly and we moved on.’
A spokesperson for ABC shot down claims that anyone at the network was ‘livid,’ pointing out that Strahan’s People cover story got its own segment on Good Morning America Wednesday.
That segment did not however mention Strahan’s comments about Ripa or Live.
In the interview, Strahan spoke about leaving Live last May and the fact that he and Ripa are no longer friends.
The source also said that the team at Good Morning America was also less than thrilled with the Strahan story.
‘They think it looks like he came in with his own agenda – which is himself,’ said the source.
‘It is just clear that he is always trying to blame everyone but himself for what happened when in fact he is the one who said on Live two years ago that he would never leave the show and wasn’t going anywhere.’
Strahan said of his relationship in an interview with People that came out Wednesday: ‘At one point I think we were friends. I don’t know what happened at the end.’
News of Strahan’s departure this past April was surrounded by drama after Ripa did not turn up for work the day after it was announced he was moving to Good Morning America full-time come September.
Ripa, it turned out, had been blindsided by the news and it was a week before she returned to her hosting duties.
‘I wasn’t surprised by her reaction at all, but I can’t control somebody else’s actions,’ he reflected. ‘I was there four years, and it’s about more than just being in front of the camera.’
Strahan, 44, who had been on Live! for four years, added: ‘Toward the end of it all, we didn’t communicate that much. I kinda looked at it like, “It was what it was.”
‘The show was going well? We’re all winning. That’s all that matters to me.’
The drama was such that Strahan left Live! earlier than planned at the network’s request, leaving Kelly, 45, to begin the process of finding a new co-host.
‘The most disappointing thing to me was that I was painted as the bad guy,’ said Strahan.
‘I value the way I carry myself,’ he said. ‘I don’t want people to see me as “Oh, he just ran out, just left them there.” That’s just not true.
‘On air all I could do was control myself. In football, New York is the toughest place to play. One day you’re the greatest player they’ve ever seen, then the next game you’re the worst.
‘But I got older in that business and I said, “Hey, it doesn’t matter what their opinion is. All I know is I’m doing my best, and I’m giving it everything I have.”‘
News of Strahan’s departure this past April was surrounded by drama after Ripa did not turn up for work the day after it was announced he was moving to Good Morning America full-time come September.
Ripa, it turned out, had been blindsided by the news and it was a week before she returned to her hosting duties.
‘I wasn’t surprised by her reaction at all, but I can’t control somebody else’s actions,’ he reflected. ‘I was there four years, and it’s about more than just being in front of the camera.’
Strahan, 44, who had been on Live! for four years, added: ‘Toward the end of it all, we didn’t communicate that much. I kinda looked at it like, “It was what it was.”
‘The show was going well? We’re all winning. That’s all that matters to me.’
The drama was such that Strahan left Live! earlier than planned at the network’s request, leaving Kelly, 45, to begin the process of finding a new co-host.
‘The most disappointing thing to me was that I was painted as the bad guy,’ said Strahan.
‘I value the way I carry myself,’ he said. ‘I don’t want people to see me as “Oh, he just ran out, just left them there.” That’s just not true.
‘On air all I could do was control myself. In football, New York is the toughest place to play. One day you’re the greatest player they’ve ever seen, then the next game you’re the worst.
‘But I got older in that business and I said, “Hey, it doesn’t matter what their opinion is. All I know is I’m doing my best, and I’m giving it everything I have.”‘
Executives have said they will likely select someone to replace Strahan by November, with many assuming it will be Ripa’s good friend Anderson Cooper.
Ripa made it clear she was angry with both the network and Strahan when she learned he was leaving the show for Good Morning America on April 19, only an hour before it was publicly announced.
After missing four episodes, Ripa held hands with Strahan as she returned to the set on April 26 and joked that the ‘long national nightmare’ was over.
‘I needed a couple days to gather my thoughts,’ she told the audience that day.
‘After 26 years with this company, I earned the right. Let’s be honest, I know half of you called in sick to be here, so we get each other.’
Ripa added that ‘apologies have been made’ and said she was thrilled for Strahan.
SOURCE: Daily Mail
Chris Spargo
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