Finally, somebody is owning up to Kelly Ripa being blindsided by the news Michael Strahan would be abruptly leaving Live! — and it only took him five months to do it.
Since April, Ripa supporters have been quietly waiting for someone to publicly admit that it was wrong for her to be kept in the dark about Strahan’s exit and his new job at Good Morning America, and Ben Sherwood, the head of Disney/ABC broadcast and entertainment networks, is finally stepping up.
“I have most definitely thought about it, and I think that enough has been said about it,” he said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter of the decision to leave Ripa unaware of talks to bring Strahan to GMA. “We made some mistakes, we fixed them quickly and we moved on… I certainly learned that more communication is better,” he added.
More: Kelly Ripa was right to freak out over Michael Strahan leaving Live!
It’s not exactly the full-fledged apology Ripa fans were hoping for, but it’s still validating to hear someone recognize that what went down was messed up.
Sherwood also revealed that he feels that Live! is going to be just fine without Strahan.
“I was on the set of Live recently,” he said. “The show is in great shape, Kelly is in a great place, the hunt for a new cohost is underway, the excitement is building, and I believe the future of that show is bright.”
Speaking of the hunt for a new cohost, don’t expect that announcement to come anytime soon.
“Kelly has always felt strongly that the show will need a permanent cohost and she is committed to finding one,” a source told People magazine. “But that process cannot be rushed, and so she is happy to take her time to make sure that the chemistry is right.”
More: What drama? Kelly Ripa & Michael Strahan were adorable on his last day
Candidates for the position range from Anderson Cooper to Fred Savage, and even Live! viewers, who were recently encouraged by Ripa to send in short submissions detailing why they deserve to be the next cohost.
Whoever the new host turns out to be, we’re just happy that Sherwood took ownership for the Strahan snafu. Now we’re just waiting on Strahan.
What do you think of Sherwood’s comments about the way Strahan’s exit was handled?
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