ABC staff brace for fireworks as Michael Strahan and Kelly Ripa forced under same roof after 2016 fallout
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ABC is preparing for a high-stakes studio shuffle that could stir up old drama between former 'Live' co-hosts Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan.
The two, whose rocky split in 2016 made headlines, are being brought under the same roof again as part of the network’s consolidation of its major daytime shows.
ABC faces behind-the-scenes tension as Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan reunite
Michael Strahan’s 'Good Morning America' will relocate from its Times Square location to the new Hudson Square facility in June, just steps from Kelly Ripa’s 'Live with Kelly and Mark', which already made the move earlier this year.
Sources say the studios are located on the same basement level, sharing both a hallway and an elevator, leaving staff concerned about potential run-ins.
Also Read: 'GMA' co-hosts George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts have a frosty on-set relationship: Report
“They will be feet away from each other,” one ABC insider told New York Post. “He will be able to smell her perfume. The staff is on tenterhooks. These two do not speak," the source added.
The history between Ripa and Strahan remains a sensitive subject within the network. In 2016, Strahan abruptly exited 'Live' for 'GMA' without giving Ripa advance notice. The fallout was swift — Ripa didn’t show up for work for days, and the network was forced to issue an apology to smooth things over.
Sources say the ABC network is already scrambling behind the scenes, trying to manage the fallout. They are being especially cautious about the timing with 'Good Morning America' airing from 7 am to 9 am, immediately followed by 'Live with Kelly and Mark' from 9 am to 10 am.
“Plans are in place to get Michael and Kelly in and out without crossing paths,” a source revealed. “The good news is they both tend to leave pretty quickly after taping. Still, if their schedules overlap, ABC will need a Plan B," they added.
However, ABC has dismissed any conflict. In a statement emailed on Thursday, April 25, a network spokesperson said, “There is absolutely no truth to this."
They called both hosts “consummate professionals" who are "excited to continue to co-host their top-rated shows in our new state of the art studios".
Ripa and Strahan aren’t the only ones who might be getting a little too close for comfort as Disney relocates its entire New York team to the sleek, solar-powered Robert A Iger Building at 7 Hudson Square.
Employees from 'The View' have reportedly expressed frustration over having to share studio and dressing room spaces with the 'Tamron Hall Show', despite the building’s high-end amenities.
“There are not a lot of desks. People just get drawers, and they are assigned lockers,” a source told The Post. “There are no executive suites, just regular-sized offices," they added.
But a network insider pushed back on the rumors, saying, “There are plenty of desks and space to accommodate everyone. The building is gorgeous.”
Michael Strahan admits he felt like a 'sidekick'
Michael Strahan, along with Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, has played a big role in keeping 'GMA' leading the morning show race. But lately, they have been facing stiff competition from NBC’s 'Today'.
In the first quarter of the year, 'GMA' trailed behind 'Today' — which pulled in over 2.7 million viewers — by about 7,000.
Meanwhile, Ripa hosts 'Live!' with Mark Consuelos.
Although sources close to Strahan insist there is “no bad blood” between him and Ripa, and that he’s “moved on" after the 2016 fallout, whispers about friction continue—especially given Ripa’s past comments about feeling overlooked in favor of Strahan.
In a 2022 Variety interview, she recalled being assigned a “janitor’s closet” as an office, while the network held a better space for Strahan.
Strahan, for his part, has admitted the experience made him feel like a “sidekick” instead of a “partner,” telling The New York Times he eventually realized it was “time to go".
He also mentioned that he doesn't “hate” Ripa, saying he actually respects her for how “good she is at her job".
“Apparently some petty person is trying to relive the spring of 2016 by bringing this up again,” said a source close to Ripa. “There has not been a single conflict between them in the nine years since," they added.
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