ABC; Getty ImagesBellamy Young was lucky enough—or maybe unlucky—to be the first star up after Kelly Ripa gave her emotional monologue on Live! With Kelly and Michael Tuesday morning.
The Scandal star later appeared on Sirius XM's Dirty, Sexy, Funny with Jenny McCarthy and shared how the reunion, which many have lauded, really went down. Although Kelly and Michael Strahan appeared to be a united front on the air, it wasn't necessarily smooth sailing behind-the-scenes.
"They were tense, bless their hearts," Young shared. "Backstage there was some tension because it could have gone any way, but once it got underway it was beautiful. You know, Kelly gave a monologue and she got to clear the air. They're professional people."
Despite walking out onto the set hand-in-hand, Kelly and Michael didn't interact beforehand. "No," Young responded when host Jenny McCarthy asked if they were chatting backstage. "They were separate and everybody went out and the show started. And then everybody remembers that we are grownups and we have jobs and we have to do our jobs."
McCarthy noted that must have been concerned about her job status given the way the situation was handled. "Who can't relate to that?" Young agreed.
Only a few hours after Ripa's return would ABC announce that Strahan's last episode would be Friday, May 13. He was originally supposed to leave in September. "After meeting with the producers of both Live and Good Morning America, and after speaking with Kelly and Michael, we have decided on a plan that best advantages both shows for the future," a show spokesperson told E! News in a statement.
"To that end, Michael's last day on Live will be on Friday, May 13, which not only gives the show the chance to have a nice send-off for him during the May book, but to also immediately begin the on-air search for a new co-host. This plan also allows GMA to start integrating Michael into the show more often this summer before his full-time start in September."
Who do you think should be Kelly's new co-host?