Michael Strahan Promises Fans That He Doesn't Hate Former Co-Host Kelly Ripa
It's no secret that there was a bit of drama between Michael Strahan and Kelly Ripa before he left! With Kelly and Michael in 2016. But fans of the show can rest assured that there's no lasting bad blood.
"If people think, 'Oh, he hates her' — I don’t hate her," Strahan told The New York Times in a recent interview. He went on to call Ripa "brilliant" and emphasized how much he learned from her about television and hosting during their time working together. "I do respect her for what she can do at her job. I cannot say enough about how good she is at her job."
Strahan and Ripa co-hosted the show together from 2012 to 2016, and while their on-air chemistry worked well, things could be testy off camera. Strahan said that at the time, he tried his best to address some of the issues with Ripa.
"One thing I tried to do is have a meeting every few weeks with her," Strahan said. "We met a few times, and that was fine. But then eventually she said she didn’t need to meet. Can’t force somebody to do something they don’t want to do."
To the Times, Strahan said being on the show was "an experience." He compared the television industry to his career in the NFL in terms of the intensely competitive environment, and said that his transition away from Live! to Good Morning America was mishandled.
"It could have been handled better," Strahan said. "I didn’t wake up and say, 'I want a job at G.M.A.' I was asked to do it by the people who run the network. It was really not a choice. It was a request. But it was treated as if I was the guy who walked in and said, 'I’m leaving.' That part was totally misconstrued, mishandled in every way."
But it doesn't seem like Strahan is holding onto any negativity from the transition. "For me, it was like: Move on. Success is the best thing. Just keep on moving."
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