Michael Strahan had better set his alarm a bit earlier: the legendary former New York Giants defensive end is leaving “Live” and Kelly Ripa after four years for fellow ABC series “Good Morning America,” where he’s been a special correspondent.
Strahan, still an NFL analyst for Fox Sports, will begin his new co-anchor position in September. In his previous “GMA” role, Strahan would join the desk twice per week — now it’ll be a full-time gig.
“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,” said James Goldston, president, ABC News. “He is a great modern thinker and leader, and with our brilliant team in front of and behind the cameras, he will help us drive forward into a very exciting future.”
“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,” added Strahan.
He continued: “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.”
Read Goldston’s full internal memo announcing the move below.
Team –
I want to share some exciting news about our GMA family.
The deeply talented Michael Strahan, who currently joins Robin, George, Lara, Amy and Ginger twice a week, will expand his role to appear full-time in the mornings on GMA starting in September.
Michael has been a stellar addition to the broadcast. Over the past two years on GMA, he’s proven to be a tireless and versatile broadcaster with an incredible ability to connect with people, from veterans to American pop culture icons and newsmakers.
He will end a four year run as Kelly Ripa‘s co-host on LIVE!, where he has honed his skills as an interviewer with genuine warmth and a quick wit. At GMA he’ll now have even more opportunities to tell stories that inspire, inform and empower people.
Almost exactly four years ago GMA memorably broke Today’s epic 16-year win streak in the mornings. Since then, the team has battled just as fiercely to deliver great journalism when news breaks, from San Bernardino to Brussels; reported relentlessly from the campaign trail with over 100 interviews with the candidates; and embraced new technology – from VR to our GMA Wake Up Call – to supercharge how we connect with our viewers every minute of the day.
I’m delighted to welcome Michael to GMA each and every morning. I can’t wait to see what this incredibly talented team will bring our viewers next.
James