Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan Reunite and Long National Nightmare Is Over"

Shortly after Live! With Kelly and Michael finished taping last Tuesday, Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan were called into a meeting regarding the show's future—or rather, Ripa's future, as she would soon learn that Strahan would be leaving in September to join Good Morning America full-time. A source told E! News Ripa was "livid" with executives, who had kept her in the dark. About 30 minutes after the meeting, news of Strahan's departure was made public.

Feeling betrayed, Ripa called in sick to work Wednesday, which sent producers scrambling to find a replacement. Ana Gasteyer filled in, with Erin Andrews and Shay Mitchell taking over through Monday. Publicly, Strahan hoped to present a united front. "I've been sitting next to Kelly every day and having a lot of fun on that show for the last four years. I'm very thankful for her—to her—because I learned so much from her," he said on GMA last Thursday, adding, "I'm just right over here a little bit earlier now, but we're the same team, same family, same network."

Later that morning, she stepped out carrying a copy of Malcom Gladwell's David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants—perhaps a way of sending Live! a message. The next night, Ripa sent an e-mail to the show's staff. "I wanted to thank you all for giving me the time to process this new information. Your kindness, support, and love has overwhelmed me," she wrote. "We are a family and I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday morning."

Ripa's friend Andy Cohen was surprised by Strahan's exit, telling his SiriusXM listeners Monday, "It just seems like a premature end to a great relationship." He suggested that their mutual friend, Anderson Cooper, succeed Strahan as co-host of Live!. An hour before Ripa returned to set Tuesday, she was seen carrying a copy of Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt's book, The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love and Loss—perhaps another hidden message.

Ahead of Tuesday's reunion with Strahan, Ripa reportedly received an apology from executives, who "expressed regret for the way Kelly was told the news."

This wasn't the first time Ripa had been burned by Live!. She was similarly blindsided in 2011 when Regis Philbin told her 20 minutes before show time that he was going to announce his departure. After Philbin left, Live! auditioned more than a dozen possible co-hosts. Ten months later, ABC selected Strahan, a sports analyst and former NFL player.

Ripa and Strahan walked out holding hands to the sounds of DNCE's "Cake by the Ocean." Ripa then appeared by herself and received a standing ovation. Fighting back tears, she said, "Guys, our long national nightmare is over. Please, sit down, please, please. Be seated. I'm going to be completely honest: I'm fairly certain that there are trained, professional snipers with tranquilizer darts in case I drift too far off message."
"I first want to honestly, sincerely thank you for welcoming me back to this show," she said. "The love, the show of support to this bizarre time has been really overwhelming. I really needed a couple of days to gather my thoughts. After 26 years with this company, I earned the right—and let's be honest, I know half of you called in sick to be here, so we get each other. In that time, I gained some perspective. I always speak from the heart. I didn't want to come out here and just, like, say something I might regret. What transpired, though, over the course of a few days has been extraordinary in the sense that it started a much greater conversation about communication and consideration and, most importantly, respect in the workplace. Since we're being honest, I don't consider this just a workplace. This is my second home. This is a place that I've devoted myself to, not just because of you, our loyal viewers, but because of all of the producers and the crew who work on this show. We have an incredible team. We are incredibly devoted to one another. We are family. Apologizes have been made and the best thing to come out of all of this, you guys, is that our parent company has assured me that Live! is a priority."
After the crew clapped, Ripa joked, "Guys, calm down: They didn't say anything about Christmas bonuses." Humor aside, she continued, "There is a commitment to this show and the people that work here, and most importantly to you, the viewers, who have watched us every day for 30 years. I am thrilled for Michael. I am thrilled for you. This is a tremendous opportunity and I couldn't be—and we couldn't be—prouder of you and everything we have accomplished together."
"So back to the show. This is entertainment. It's supposed to be entertaining, so let's get back to what we do best and start the show," Ripa said. "Incidentally, I just want to say one thing. My dad, who was a bus driver for 30 years, thinks we're all crazy. And I think he's right. I think he's right.
Strahan made sure to show Ripa some love. "I'm so happy you're back," he said. "One thing I know about you is you love this show, you love the fans, you love this staff, I love you, and I'm so happy you're here because you brought me here with Gelman, and this show been transforming for me, and I know this show lives on because you are the queen of morning television and it will continue."
"How dare you!" Ripa joked, explaining that Oprah Winfrey still holds that title.
From there, it was business as usual. Ripa discussed her 20th wedding anniversary with Mark Consuelos, and the co-hosts interviewed Scandal's Bellamy Young and Blindspot's Jaimie Alexander.