Michael Strahan Begs Kelly Ripa To Take Him Back On 'Live!' As New Show Sinks
Good Morning America bust Michael Strahan is secretly planning to beg Kelly Ripa to take him back — after betraying her to get the gig!
“Michael wishes that he’d never left ‘Live with Kelly and Michael!’ ” a network source exclusively squealed to RadarOnline.com. “He had the best job on TV — with his name in the show’s title!
“Now, Michael is the third banana on GMA, and the show’s new afternoon hour featuring him as the host is tanking!”
The former NFL star, 46, debuted on GMA Day with former The View panelist Sara Haines on Sept. 10.
“It’s been a huge ratings disappointment for the network,” dished the source. “Worse yet, viewers seem to hate Michael on it.”
Shockingly, fans have savaged Strahan on review blogs.
“There are more qualified people that deserve the anchor spot that is filled by Michael Strahan,” wrote one fan. “Really ABC? You couldn’t find anyone better?”
Adding to Michael’s worries, the executives who lured him away from Live in 2016 — orchestrating the hush-hush exit that launched World War III between him and Kelly — are out of the network!
“Now he’s terrified because the folks that were hoping to promote him as GMA’s hot new host are no longer there to have his back!” tattled an insider.
After the betrayal, Kelly, 48, blew up — and Michael was booted from Live weeks before he had planned to leave.
“At the time Michael couldn’t care less, because he was assured he was being groomed to be a star at ABC,” the source spilled. “But now he’s dragging the show down!”
As RadarOnline.com has reported, Michael has also clashed with staffers who complained about his behind-the-scenes diva behavior.
Now, according to insiders, a frantic Strahan is convinced he has no choice but to plead with Kelly to forgive him and let him rejoin “Live” — even though he’s been replaced by fan favorite Ryan Seacrest — before he gets axed at GMA.
Although his rep blasted that as “ridiculous,” an insider insisted Michael and his people are working out a strategy of how to approach Kelly.
“Michael plans to pass himself off as an innocent pawn of the network execs,” the source snitched. “But it’s two years later and Kelly is still feeling sandbagged! It’s going to be a very hard sell!”
We pay for juicy info! Do you have a story for RadarOnline.com? Email us at tips@radaronline.com, or call us at (866) ON-RADAR (667-2327) any time, day or night.
Get the exclusive celebrity scoop on all the stars you love before any of your friends by subscribing to our new podcast Straight Shuter below!