Michael Strahan All Smiles After Leaving Kelly Ripa Behind at Live!: Inside His Summer Plans

Former football star moves on to GMA full-time in September

By Francesca Bacardi, Callie Marx May 13, 2016 8:05 PMTags
Michael StrahanAKM-GSI

Goodbye for now, Michael Strahan!

The former NFL star taped his final episode of Live! With Kelly and Michael Friday morning and officially begins his summer vacation transition. Before moving on to Good Morning America full time in September, Michael will continue his part-time role this summer, as well as tape a full season of $100,000 Pyramid. No rest for the weary, as they say!

Now former co-host Kelly Ripa wished Michael well during this morning's show as well as afterwards in a behind-the-scenes goodbye, and sources tell E! News that they seemed "genuinely sad."

"The whole tone of the show was very emotional," an insider tells us. "They were hugging each other during commercial breaks."

Another source tells E! News that "it felt like a normal show essentially," which probably sat very well with Michael, who wanted a low-key affair. During the taping he reiterated, "I don't like a big to-do about it." There's no word on who will take over for Strahan, but part-time fill-ins include Jimmy Kimmel, Seal, David Muir and Jussie Smollett. When asked about who could be her next full-time partner, an insider tells us she joked, "It could be one of you!"

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Michael Strahan Says Goodbye to Live! Again in Post-Show Speech
David M. Russell, Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and TV Distribution

Although Kelly and Michael were emotional on-air and behind the scenes, Michael left the set with a smile on his face. Kelly stayed behind for a while longer to tape an interview with Matthew McConaughey (sans Michael) that will air at a later date. He was spotted in the back of an SUV driving away from the studio. "He seemed happy," another source tells us.

After he left, an assistant was seen loading some of his shirts and boxes into a separate vehicle.

Despite both stars wearing black, which symbolized a funeral to some Twitter users, Kelly and Michael both reiterated that he wouldn't be gone forever. "This is a moment that I didn't anticipate...at least at this point, but I'm going to enjoy it. I'm not dying. I'm still in the family," he said during the taping. "And I'm going to come back if I'm ever asked to co-host."

"You can fill in for me," Ripa said. "I start vacation in a couple of weeks!" She was kidding, of course, but Strahan still declined. "I don't know about that," he said, joking that it might be "too soon."

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Kelly Ripa & Michael Strahan's Best Live Moments