It has been confirmed that Kelly Ripa will be returning to Live! on Tuesday after taking some time off following Michael Strahan’s GMA announcement. As previously reported by the Inquisitr , Ripa felt blindsided by Strahan’s decision to leave the show. She was so hurt, in fact, that she decided to take a couple of days off to regroup.
On Tuesday, the world learned that Strahan would be joining the team over at Good Morning America on a full-time basis (he is currently there from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.). Kelly Ripa reportedly found this out on Tuesday as well, not being given any advanced notice from Strahan — her partner in daytime television crime — or the network.
Kelly Ripa had previously planned to take Friday and Monday off as she was going on vacation with her husband, Mark Consuelos, but sources say that she was a no-show on Live! on Wednesday and Thursday because she was so upset about what was going on.
Now, according to People Magazine , Kelly has broken her silence. The blonde beauty fired off an email to her staff late on Friday, explaining herself a bit and thanking them for understanding. It seems as though Kelly really wanted to smooth things over before showing up to work on Tuesday morning with additional anxiety.
“Sorry for this late Friday night email. I wanted to thank you all for giving me the time to process this new information. Your kindness, support, and love has overwhelmed me. We are a family and I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday morning. Love, Kelly.”
It is unknown if Kelly Ripa has reached out to Michael Strahan since last week, or if she’s going to face him for the first time on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, sources say that Strahan has been reaching out to Ripa and that he wants her to come back to Live! as soon as possible.
“He has been reaching out to her. He wants her to come back,” a source said.
Strahan has also been sure to mention Kelly Ripa whenever he talks about his move to Good Morning America . He has been very gracious, kind, and respectful toward Ripa when talking about his new deal.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the incredible team at GMA . It is an exciting opportunity to be able to bring unique stories and voices to the audience. My time with Live With Kelly and Michael has been transformative, and my departure will be bittersweet. Kelly has been an unbelievable partner, and I am so thankful to her and the entire team. I am extremely grateful for the amazing support I’ve received from all of the fans,” Strahan said last week in a statement to Entertainment Tonight .
Sources say that Kelly Ripa was kept in the dark about Michael Strahan’s new deal because the network didn’t want to let the cat out of the bag until the papers were signed. It has been said that the ink was barely dry when Ripa found out the news, but that it was still sudden and unexpected. Strahan was reportedly not permitted to talk about his potential move to GMA until everything was set in stone.
It’s confirmed: Kelly Ripa will return to host Live! with Michael Strahan on Tuesday. https://t.co/ZqewS4zGL9 pic.twitter.com/RTtZNMk0ls
— E! Online (@eonline) April 23, 2016
There is absolutely no question that Tuesday’s episode of Live! With Kelly and Michael is going to be worth the watch. Kelly Ripa will more than likely try to ease the awkwardness and the tension by telling a couple of jokes, but she will probably be very honest about her take on the situation. If this happens, she will undoubtedly be very emotional as she addresses Strahan’s departure publicly for the first time.
Will you be tuning in to see how this all unfolds?
[Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images]