Kelly Ripa is back.
The popular morning TV host returned to “Live! with Kelly and Michael” on Tuesday, ending a much-publicized absence that began last week after it was announced that Ripa’s co-host, Michael Strahan, will be leaving the show to join “Good Morning America” in September.
Multiple reports last week said Ripa was blindsided by the news, which she reportedly learned just minutes before it was publicly announced. She missed three episodes of “Live!” last week in addition to Monday’s show, fueling speculation over whether she’d continue to stay off air amid the drama.
But Ripa returned to a standing ovation Tuesday morning, at which point she declared, “our long national nightmare is over.” Strahan applauded, too, as Ripa delivered a message to her fans.
“In that time, I gained some perspective,” Ripa said of her absence. “I always speak from the heart. I didn’t want to come out here and just say something I might regret. So 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.”
Strahan, who spent 15 seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, joined “Live!” back in 2012. He showed love for Ripa — the “queen of morning television,” in his words — during Tuesday’s episode, crediting her with bringing him onto a “transforming” show.
