Could Regis Philbin return to "Live" with Kelly Ripa after Michael Strahan leaves this week? The venerable veteran has "already been approached" about a possible comeback, Page Six notes.
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The show's official response was derisive snark - "Seriously?" (which isn't exactly a denial..) but Regis' wife Joy seemed to put the kibosh on the idea. "Stay out of it, Regis!" she was overheard shouting while Regis was on the line.
Strahan leaves Friday. The two started their final week together with some stilted chatter and awkward body language.
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Ripa found out about Strahan’s depature just an hour before the announcement last month, while “Good Morning America” co-hosts Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos reportedly knew in advance. Ripa was furious over how the announcement was handled.
“I needed a couple of days to gather my thoughts. After 26 years with this company, I earned the right,” she said after she returned to the show following a hiatus of a few days. “In that time, I gained some perspective. What transpired over the course of a few days has been extraordinary in the sense that it started a much greater conversation about communication and consideration and most importantly, respect in the workplace. And since we’re being honest, I don’t consider this just a workplace. This is my second home. This is a place that I’ve devoted myself to not just because of you, our loyal viewers, but because of all the producers and the crew who work on this show. We have an incredible team. We are incredibly devoted to one another. We are family. Apologies have been made, and the best thing to come out of all of this is that our parent company has assured me that ‘Live!’ is a priority.”
