John Lamparski/WireImageAmid the ongoing controversy surrounding Michael Strahan's surprise departure from LIVE!, another colleague has been pulled into the mayhem.
Rumors have swirled that Lara Spencer, his Good Morning America co-anchor, is less than thrilled about the network's choice to give him a full-time spot on the morning news program since she had allegedly been promised the lead spot on the anchor desk. However, a source tells E! News that simply is not true.
"Lara and Michael are very close friends," the insider said.
Thursday morning, his GMA co-anchors, including Spencer, George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts offered him a warm congratulatory welcome.
"We cannot wait for you full-time," Stephanopoulos said. "Are you ready?"
"I'm ready. I need some tips on how to wake up early every day. That's going to be first and foremost, but it's like my second family here," Strahan replied before expressing his gratitude to Ripa and all that he has taught him.
While he has the support of his GMA colleague, co-host Kelly Ripa was absent from her post on LIVE! Wednesday after ABC executives, the show's executive producer Michael Gelman and Strahan broke the news to her in a meeting after Tuesday's show.
"He wanted to be there. He didn't have to be, but he didn't want to have her hear it and not be there," a source told E! News of Strahan's attendance at the meeting. "He tried to do the stand up thing."
"She was livid," a source told E! exclusively. "It wasn't pretty."
E! News confirmed Ripa will not be back on the show for the rest of the week, either. "On [today's] LIVE with Kelly and Michael, Erin Andrews will guest co-host with Michael Strahan. Friday's show—which already was scheduled to pre-tape on Thursday—also will be co-hosted by Andrews," a show spokesperson told E! News.
Meanwhile, Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos are headed to Turks and Caicos with their three children for a weekend getaway that has been planned since February.