TMZ's ABC sources say Kelly's people made it clear she would come back if they could get assurance the show wasn't getting the ax. ABC honchos are noodling whether to add a third hour of 'GMA,' which would displace 'Live.'
The brass apparently gave Kelly enough assurance to end her boycott. Even if 'GMA' moves to 9 ... ABC could save 'Live' by moving it to 10 or 11 AM.
According to TMZ, Kelly made it clear she'd be a happy camper if Michael Strahan leaves before his scheduled September departure. Our sources say both Kelly and Michael are extremely uncomfortable about sitting together under the circumstances, and they'd both like to stop the bleeding STAT.
Earlier Posting...
Kelly Ripa has informed the staff of her ABC Live morning show, “Live With Kelly and Michael,” on Friday night that she would return Tuesday, according to an email obtained by The New York Times.
Addressing the “Live” staff, she said: “(Sorry for this late Friday night email). I wanted to thank you all for giving me the time to process this new information. Your kindness, support, and love has overwhelmed me. We are a family and I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday morning. Love, Kelly.”
Ripa refused to appear on her show twice this week after the network announced that Michael Strahan would leave “Live” for “Good Morning America” in September. A person who spoke to Ms. Ripa said she had felt blindsided since she was given almost no notice about the move. She also felt that network executives were slighting her show in favor of “Good Morning America.”
Strahan began appearing on “Good Morning America” two years ago, and Ripa expressed reservations at the time that his role on that show would be a distraction from his duties on “Live.” She was told that his role would be temporary.
Meanwhille the NY Post quotes a source: “ABC has the other problem that if Kelly does appear at work on Tuesday, that she ‘might do an Ann Curry’ and turn on her co-anchor. There clearly would be tension between her and Michael. He’s on the show for another four months, but could they even be on-air together? Nobody knows what is going to happen.”
Another ABC source said Ripa “feels overshadowed” by Strahan. “Kelly and Michael have been faking it for a while. They haven’t been getting on for some time. Things went south when he went part time to ‘GMA’. She resents Michael’s success and her ego can’t take it. But what is ridiculous is that ‘Live’ is still her show — she’s still the star.”
Meanwhile, Strahan’s ABC News colleague Mara Schiavocampo told us everyone at “GMA” is excited: “He is so loved by everyone on the staff and by all the on-air team. He’s just a really good person. He brings a good energy to the studio and we’re really excited to have him . . . Everybody wanted more Michael.”
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