Kelly Ripa Wanted Michael Strahan Off ‘Live!’ ASAP: People Deserve Respect In The Workplace, She Says

Following Michael Strahan’s surprising departure announcement from Live! with Kelly and Michael, Kelly Ripa immediately began the process of finding his replacement. While Ripa is currently hunting for a new co-host, reports indicate that she wanted Strahan off the show as quickly as possible.

According to E! Online, Strahan’s shocking exit came without proper warning. Not only was Ripa left in the dark about the network’s plans to move Strahan to Good Morning America, but their failure to inform her has left Ripa desperately searching for a replacement. Will she find a new co-host before Strahan leaves the show for his new home at GMA?

“We have to now find another great person, which is fun but challenging,” Ripa explained in an interview with People. “Our show is one based on chemistry and camaraderie and trust. All those things don’t just happen; it doesn’t fall out of the sky. It takes a lot of work, and it takes a group discussion.”

When Strahan first told the world that he was leaving the show, he promised to stay on until this coming fall. This would have given Kelly Ripa and her producers plenty of time to find a good replacement. However, that timetable has since moved up and Strahan’s final day is Friday, May 13, leaving Ripa and company scrambling to find a co-host.

“Michael’s last day on Live! will be on Friday, May 13, which not only gives the show the chance to have a nice send-off for him during the May book, but to also immediately begin the on-air search for a new co-host,” a spokesperson for the show explained. “This plan also allows GMA to start integrating Michael into the show more often this summer before his full-time start in September.”

Although Strahan’s departure puts more stress on Ripa, she could not agree more with the decision. There has been visible tension between the two since he “blind-sided” her by telling her he was leaving just 30 minutes before they went on the air. For Ripa, Strahan’s exit in May opens up the opportunity to find a replacement during the summer break. While this is only a window of a few months, Ripa is confident that they will find someone.

Many fans have expressed their desire to see Anderson Cooper join Kelly on Live! While she neither confirmed nor denied these reports, Kelly did share that she won’t do the show without a partner.

“I like having a partner,” she revealed. “I don’t think it works otherwise. I need someone sitting next to me.”

In the meantime, Ripa is doing her best to move forward, despite the ill feelings and awkwardness that remains between her, Strahan, and the network. Apparently, she accomplishes this by sticking to the advice Regis Philbin gave her many years ago. This includes taking things one step at a time and “marching forward” no matter the circumstances.

That being said, USA Today is reporting that Ripa also admitted that she still felt slighted by the network. Although she understands that the network was just doing what was best for business, she still felt as though they should have informed her about the move.

According to the Huffington Post, Ripa believes that everyone should be treated the same in the workplace. This is part of the reason why Ripa felt wronged by the decision to move Strahan without notice. In overlooking her in the negotiations, the network was giving special treatment to Strahan.

“I think that all people are deserving of fair treatment in the workplace. People deserve respect,” Ripa explained. “People should be treated equally and with dignity. I’m not dealing with monsters. I don’t think of anybody as a monster or out to get me. But sometimes stability and dependability can be misinterpreted as passive.”

Tell us! Do you think Kelly Ripa was slighted by Michael Strahan and ABC execs? Let us know in the comments below.

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