Michael Strahan attends the all-new Range Rover Sport launches at Skylight at Moynahan Station in New York March 26, 2013.
Credit: Courtesy of MCT
Former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan followed his 15-year football career with an unconventional twist. Strahan has become a household name on television, and his gift of gab is snagging him spots on top national morning shows.
Strahan revealed April 1 on his show “Live! with Kelly and Michael” that he is joining “Good Morning America” as a part-time host.
The gentle giant proved that he could gossip over a cup of coffee when he took over for Regis Philbin as co-host alongside Kelly Ripa on “Live! with Kelly and Michael” in 2012.
ABC’s top-rated morning show “Good Morning America” was looking to add another man to its A-list roster after losing Sam Champion to The Weather Channel and Josh Elliott to NBC Sports.
Strahan is slated to appear on the 7 a.m. hour of “GMA” before heading to the 9 a.m. show “Live! with Kelly and Michael.”
During his announcement, Strahan told fans he would not be appearing on “GMA” every morning and “Live! with Kelly and Michael” is still his priority.
“No matter what, this is going to be my No. 1 priority. You are my No. 1 priority,” Strahan said to his co-host Ripa.
Strahan is a busy man, who is soon to be busier. He is also an anchor on Fox Sports Sundays.
Strahan’s announcement is certainly impressive, but why him? His expertise lies in sports and he is already finding success co-hosting another morning show.
Ripa joked to Strahan on-air saying, “We just want to know how many cups of coffee we need to have ready by the time you get here.”
Ripa’s quip is comical, but it might be a reality. It seems to me that Strahan might be a tad overbooked.
“GMA” is going to expect to add nothing less than commitment to its team. It seems odd the show would not have hired an anchor that was available every morning.
Maybe “GMA” is looking to model its show after its ever-popular competitor, “Today,” which features different anchors each hour.
The morning news shows are notoriously competitive for ratings. Strahan was a popular addition to “Live! with Kelly and Michael” and he might pull new viewership for “GMA.”
The direction of “GMA” and Strahan’s skyrocketing career remains to be seen. It will be interesting to watch how Strahan’s addition affects the ratings war and how Strahan navigates his new role on “GMA.”
