For all you can say about Kelly Ripa’s behavior in the press the last few weeks, Michael Strahan’s sendoff on Live was pretty warm and celebratory. She acted fine, as she’s done all along, and there weren’t any cracks that you could see. They had a nice flashback montage which you can watch here, Kelly gave Michael some going away presents, and at the end she toasted to Michael’s future and said she was looking forward to following his career. It was really touching and it didn’t seem like there were hard feelings at all. In fact Michael told Kelly he loved her and that she was the best and they kissed on the cheek multiple times. According to Page Six these two made up behind the scenes too and all is well. So why is it that all photos featuring Michael will be removed from the set?
A source said that Strahan was seen after the telecast stopping by Ripa’s dressing room for a final farewell. “They had a really nice talk,” said a source. “It was all very positive.”
Ripa, along with the show’s executive producer Michael Gelman and other staffers, were kept in the dark last month by ABC brass until the last minute over Strahan’s departure, resulting in bitter behind-the-scenes drama.
And sources told us that any traces of Strahan will be gone when “Live” resumes Monday.
“There are pictures of [Michael and Kelly] in the hallway that greet all the guests,” said an insider. “And there are pictures of them in the green room. That will all be cleared out and removed. I wouldn’t call it redecorating, but it will be ‘refreshed.’ All that stuff will be boxed up.” Another source added, “That’s consistent with what ABC has done in the past — it’s in line with how they have made other changes.”
But a rep for the show said of the Strahan image exorcism, “That is not true.” The rep declined to comment Michael’s meeting with Ripa.
Strahan insisted on camera during his last broadcast with the show: “I’m not dying! I’m still in the family, and I’m still available to come back if I’m ever called to co-host.”
I guess that makes sense because he’s moving on to another show, but you would think they could leave a couple of photos of him around as mementos, particularly on set. They’re moving on though, and ABC has already rebranded their YouTube channel to “Live With Kelly” as they search for another co-host for her. As we wonder who that will be, it seems a foregone conclusion that it will be a man, as that’s the show’s format. EW had an interesting editorial a couple weeks ago asking why Kelly’s cohost couldn’t be a woman. Author Melissa Maerz writes that Live is testament to the industry’s “myth of scarcity” which is “a system that pits women against one another, fighting for that one last space. So why not make room for one more?” Given all we’ve learned about Kelly, do you think she’d be ok sharing co-hosting duties with another woman? I’m honestly asking!
Here’s the last part of Michael’s final episode:
I think it would depend on if Regis and Kathie Lee still have photos up in the studio. If they do, then he should as well. If not, then it’s a case of routine, I’d suspect.
I still find it really really strange that she was able to bump up his departure.
Exactly. If you see Regis or Katie Lee up there then his photo should still be there too. However, I suspect it isn’t a big deal because they remove pictures of separated employees as soon as they leave.
Look at the federal courthouses, they remove the president and vps pic as soon as the new team is in office!
So glad they made up. Since he never did anything to her in the first place.
Agree. You would think this is an “All About Eve” situation but it’s not. Those statement photo props with the book and shirt were really over the top. Everyone wants to turn everything into some big social message all of the time now.
Kelly would never share the spotlight with another woman though she could, as other morning shows do. That’s just not part of her feminist manifesto.
I think that there was a legitimate question of whether or not the show was going to be continuing, or if Kelly and company were going to be jettisoned for an extra hour of GMA. Michael didn’t do anything wrong, but I’d still side eye the hell out of anyone that would be happy to be the only one to continue on on with a job.
Routine, of course.
Gelman, the executive producer of the show, didn’t know about Michael leaving? While it’s Michael and ABC’s business concerning his career choices and contracts, it still blows me away that key people of the LIVE show were kept in the dark until mere hours before the public announcement. Especially the executive producer! Well, we haven’t talked about this show in years so they must be doing something right. Ha!
It really gives credence to the rumor that all their jobs were in danger for a moment and Michael probably realised he was getting the soft landing treatment by way of promotion. I hope I would have the courage to insist that things be handled better if I were Michael coz honestly the man just sounds like a rat with great representation. I cant imagine this endears him to the new team especially the producers who tend to have tension with upstairs execs anyway.
I remember years ago when Kathie Lee was on the show, there had been rumours that she and Gelman had a rather frosty working relationship. Maybe Gelman knew about Michael leaving and just kept his mouth shut , pretending he was blindsided like the rest? The show has been on the air for years with all the drama of the various hosts, he has remained producer. It makes me wonder if he has a special deal with ABC/Disney.
I get the feeling a book will hit the shelves in the near future about this mess. Who the author will be I don’t know , but I am thinking Michael might be the one to watch…..
So over this story. Get a new plot.
Omg, such drama over such nothing.
I don’t think we learned anything about Kelly that points to her not getting along with women. That article is ridiculous, Kelly was pitted by execs against a man, the assumption that two women would fight belongs to the author.
And I’m sorry but I don’t believe there is just one mega-devil on that set and that is Kelly. It’s much more believable that there are a lot of mini-devils running around there. I don’t believe Michael is as perfect as he looks but he plays it much better than Kelly.
Some people are just provocative and manage to keep everything under wraps with a cool and calm demeanor. Maybe in this case Michael didn’t have a big part but I’m sure time will show there’s more to him than what we see.
I don’t think the author of that article was claiming that Kelly doesn’t get along with women. She was talking about the industry in general, pits women against each other.
I think Kelly and others just read this whole shift as ABC clearly showing them that GMA is more of a priority to ABC than Live. I think this had a lot more to do with they’re pique over the incident. She cleverly cloaked it in a timing problem but at the crux is her ego and status at ABC not being what she likey thought it was.
Of Course GMA is more important it brings in approximately $400M a year while Live about $40M a year in profits to ABC/Disney
Well with all of the pettiness and pouting Kelly clearly is unaware of her place in the pecking order
Are you seriously saying that she should learn her place? The woman who’s name is in the title of the show?
They removed his name and everything from the opening. It’s Live with Kelly again. Kinda ridiculous all the attention given to this. I wish them both the best.
Currently watching this. Jimmy Kimmel is the guest host and he assures the audience that Michael’s pictures are still all over the place. So, unsurprisingly, Page Six is incorrect.
But Kelly or Michael said they haven’t been removed YET not sure if they were joking.
I think it’s pretty obvious she was joking when she said “we haven’t gotten to them yet.” I doubt her good friend, Jimmy, would have brought it up if the reality would have put her in a petty light.
I read the People article. All I can say is this did not do her any favors in my eyes. I was a huge Kelly fan, she always made me smile and I was a fan of hers from her AMC days. This is so spoiled. And the fact that she is self conscious of it and People even alludes to that in how she brought up her working class roots of her bus driver dad who thinks they’re all crazy. Guess what? Crazy is too nice of a word…Entitled, Spoiled, relentlessly vengeful, unappreciative, did I say spoiled? Gross. Take your 20 million and STFU.
And I never liked Kathie Lee. She was a biatch to Gelman. I was happy to see her go. Very white bread. Kelly was such a breath of fresh air after stuck up Kathie Lee, who I scratch my head that her phony ass is still on TV. There’s a saying I ran into recently…Two things define you. Your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything. Think about that Kelly.
This is nothing compared to what the royal family of England did to Princess Diana. They have wiped away every trace of her in the media and in Buckingham Palace, too. In fact, when I was in the palace gift shop 3 summers ago, there was not ONE picture of Diana to buy. I asked a guard about it and she said, “She isn’t a royal and she doesn’t live in the palace.” Damnnnnn, so this is how they treat the mother of their beloved princes and the grandmother of Prince George?
That’s how they treat Charles’ ex wife.
I would guess it is pretty standard stuff. He left and the show needs to move on successfully. Having constant reminders around the staff and audience of “what was” in some sort of homage isn’t fair to remaining members. It takes the focus off of them, places it elsewhere, and they are then competing with the past while building their own , different emerging brand.
I left a large natl organization as a senior executive after 20 years. My role had a social media presence representing the organization …the next day after my retirement is was wiped clean and my successor was placed instead. That happened with all departing execs, including the CEO.
Life moves on. Every one is replaceable. He chose to leave and this is a natural outcome of same.
No story here.
Is it a coincidence that Kelly is wearing a black dress? Funeral? Also I do see something in her eyes when she says Good Morning America. She looks like a person trying not to look like they’re lying, the eye contact is too deliberate. Like I’m looking you in the eye, I mean what I say.
And her voice during the whole segment was all, “SO…!”
OMG the more drama this kicks up the more it sounds like a lover’s quarrel. Ex-lovers quarrel.
I have no respect for Kelly. None.
Who cares. It’s all back to business.