Michael Strahan Leaving ‘Live! With Kelly And Michael’ For ‘GMA’; Kelly Ripa Reportedly Blindsided

Michael Strahan will soon be departing Live! with Kelly and Michael for the greener pastures of a full-time gig on Good Morning America.

Michael Strahan Moving To ‘GMA’

It was announced Tuesday that Strahan is leaving Live! with Kelly and Michael after less than four years on the daytime talk show. Having made occasional appearances on GMA over the last couple of years, he’s joining the ABC morning program full time.

“Over the past two years on GMA, Michael’s proven to be a tireless and versatile broadcaster with an incredible ability to connect with people, from veterans and all kinds of newsmakers to a host of modern American cultural icons,” ABC News President James Goldston said in a statement. “LIVE will kick off the search for a new co-host when the new season begins in the fall.”

In his own statement, Strahan said, “I look forward to continuing to work with the incredible team at GMA. It is an exciting opportunity to be able to bring unique stories and voices to the audience,” adding, “My time with LIVE with Kelly and Michael has been transformative, and my departure will be bittersweet. Kelly has been an unbelievable partner, and I am so thankful to her and the entire team. I am extremely grateful for the amazing support I’ve received from all of the fans.”

Despite Strahan’s kind words about Ripa, the longtime Live! co-host was kept out of the loop about his impending departure, only finding out from her co-host on Tuesday just as he and Goldston were releasing the official statements, according to TMZ. Reportedly outraged about how everything went down with Strahan, including Disney CEO Bob Iger‘s involvement in keeping her in the dark, Ripa did not show up to host Live! Wednesday. Instead, actress Ana Gasteyer appeared alongside Strahan, who made light of his move to GMA.

Ripa replaced longtime Live! host Kathy Lee Gifford in 2001, co-hosting with Regis Philbin through 2011. After nearly a year of trying out guest co-hosts, Strahan officially joined the show in Sept. 2012. The show has continued to enjoy solid ratings.