Kelly Ripa Co-Host: Has ABC Chosen Shemar Moore To Replace Michael Strahan?

Has ABC found the official Kelly Ripa co-host? The last time we reported on Ripa’s new co-host, it sounded like ABC was taking a break, or at least taking their time searching for someone who would go on to replace Michael Strahan. It was the opposite of the search to replace longtime co-host Regis Philbin in 2011. The search for someone to replace Regis Philbin was shortened to the length of the summer so that ABC could find someone in time for the premiere in September.

It was believed that Michael Strahan’s replacement would be found in the same length of time. However, from Kelly Ripa’s point of view, the process behind finding someone to fill Strahan’s shoes was delayed, because ABC failed to notify her of Strahan’s exit ahead of time. Back in May, she told People that it was a setback.

“What we’ve explained to them is, ‘Well, if you had asked us, we would have told you, Guys, we need to start looking, because we have summer hiatus, we have vacation time. We need to find people. If we’re going to have this list narrowed down at least to a manageable size by the fall, we need to start now.'”

Finding the Kelly Ripa co-host was put on the back burner, because ABC had a bigger problem to deal with: Ripa fled to Turks & Caicos for a week once the news broke of Strahan’s exit. To rectify the issue, ABC promised that the show would be a priority and promoted Kelly Ripa to an executive producer role, which meant she had a lot more say this time around.

Kelly Ripa Co-Host Search: ABC Boss Admits Michael Strahan Mistake, Final September… – https://t.co/xOUmqOiTZL pic.twitter.com/7kQEDvFNkN

— Gossips RTNews (@GossipsRTNews) September 19, 2016

As the Inquisitr reported, ABC president Ben Sherwood admitted that the way they went about things was a mistake.

“We made some mistakes, we fixed them quickly and we moved on. I was on the set of Live recently: The show is in great shape, Kelly is in a great place, the hunt for a new co-host is underway, the excitement is building, and I believe the future of that show is bright.”

All of that considered, it seems when it comes to finding the coveted Kelly Ripa co-host role, ABC is realizing that you can’t rush finding someone who has both good chemistry with Kelly Ripa and who responds well with the audience. While ABC was hoping Strahan was going to be a more permanent co-host, it seems that he had goals that exceeded Live now that he jumped ship to Good Morning America. Although it was a slow start to find a new co-host for Kelly Ripa, there have been names that rotated in the guest co-host seat all summer. Popular fan favorites like Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, and Jerry O’Connell have all made an impression on the fans and Ripa.

That said, Celeb Dirty Laundry reports that former Criminal Minds actor Shemar Moore may have snagged the role as Kelly Ripa’s co-host. Shemar Moore left Criminal Minds after 11 years of playing Derek Morgan so he could move on from the show and transition into the next chapter of his career. Nowadays, actors are brands, so it’s not unusual to find actors dipping in and out of different mediums, such as being co-host of a morning show. Names like Ellen DeGeneres, Rosie O’Donnell, Jimmy Fallon, and Harry Connick Jr. all come to mind.

Celeb Dirty Laundry points out that Shemar Moore isn’t looking for just any acting job to replace Criminal Minds, but a job that will allow him to focus on his family. As we know, Live! allows Kelly Ripa to balance family and her career, so it seems like a no-brainer for Moore. The positive incentive for ABC to have Shemar as Kelly Ripa’s new co-host is that he would bring over the loyal Criminal Minds fanbase.

Do you think Shemar Moore would make a good replacement for Michael Strahan?

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