Entertainment

Why Isn't Kelly Ripa On 'Live' This Week?

by Kaitlin Reilly

Rumors are flying about an alleged feud between Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, Ripa's Live! With Kelly And Michael co-star. Though the two seem thick as thieves on their talk show, which they have appeared on together since Strahan joined the show in 2012, new reports suggest that drama may be brewing behind the scenes after Ripa failed to appear on the talk show on Tuesday following the announcement that her co-host, Strahan would be taking a full-time job with Good Morning America. Now, new rumors allege that the reason why Ripa has not appeared on Live! this week has to do her being upset with her co-host of four years. (Bustle has reached out to Ripa's publicist in response to these rumors, but has not yet heard back.)

Though we have to take these rumors as just that — rumors, and not facts — according to PEOPLE, several sources have alleged that the reason that Ripa was been absent from the talk show has to do with her reaction to Strahan's career move. PEOPLE also reports that Ripa was allegedly upset when Strahan and executives at ABC told her that Strahan would be leaving the show to work on Good Morning America full-time beginning in the summer. She allegedly received this news on Tuesday night, and did not show up for the taping of the show on Wednesday. CNN reported that Ripa already had scheduled a vacation on Friday and the following Monday, though they did not explain why Ripa would not appear on the show Wednesday or Thursday.

Variety suggests that any potential anger that Ripa has towards Strahan or the Good Morning America situation may have to do with the changes it will bring to her own career, because it took nine months of guest hosts for Ripa to find a replacement for her former co-host, Regis Philbin. Of course, until Ripa makes her own statement about Strahan and the reason why she missed Live! this week, we can't rely on rumors. Take this all with a grain of salt, people!