Michael Strahan shocked the media world on Tuesday, making the decision to leave Live! With Kelly and Michael to join ABC’s Good Morning America full-time.

ABC executives and insiders who spoke to various media outlets say that the move is being done in order to stop the Today show’s momentum. While GMA is still the No. 1 morning show in America among total viewers, the show has faced loses in the 18-to-34 demographic against its NBC counterparts. ABC wants to give the show more stability by having Strahan further develop his camaraderie with the crew for more than two days a week.

TMZ also reported that ABC sees Strahan, Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos as the Three Musketeers and the network gave the former NFL star a pay raise of up to eight figures to persuade him to accept the new role in the company.

With this new change, Strahan has the ability to go on assignment more often than he would before. It opens him up to do more profiles, in-depth stories, interviews. He’ll also widen the scope of things he’s able to cover and cement himself as one of ABC’s biggest superstars. Strahan’s production company is re-launching The $10,000 Pyramid, which will air on ABC in primetime and GMA provides him with a bigger platform to promote that show on a consistent basis, in addition to other shows he may want to develop.

On the morning TV landscape, it’s being rumored that Matt Lauer will be leaving Today after the 2016 election. If true, ABC is smart to make changes to GMA now, hoping to reel in any Today viewers who decide to leave after the change is made. As we saw with the ratings switcheroo that occurred between GMA and Today when NBC made changes on its show, viewers love stability.

Now, the natural question is who will replace Michael Strahan on Live? This is now the most attractive job in television. Here are some potential contenders:

 

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Anderson Cooper

Cooper is currently CNN’s backbone and star anchor during election season, but his contract is up after the next president is elected. The star anchorman attempted to do daytime television in 2011, but failed and could use this opening to fulfill a dream unaccomplished. Cooper also fills in on Live! often and has great chemistry with Ripa. (It is not a secret that they’re best friends.) But if Cooper has aspirations to continue reporting while hosting the show, it could prove tough as ABC staff is pretty full with talent between GMA, This Week, 20/20, Nightline and World News Tonight. There is always the possibility he re-signs with CNN and does Live!, but he would most certainly have to give up 60 Minutes due to time constraints. Another option could be to focus on Live! and 60 Minutes, but that could also be a strange arrangement, given that ABC and CBS are direct rivals.

 

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Ryan Seacrest

The former host of American Idol currently has no stable television job. He is scheduled to work at NBC during the Olympics as a late-night host, but is free after the Summer Games are over. Seacrest is often a guest on Live! and has ample experience interviewing celebrities. But the major obstacle would be location. Would Seacrest move to New York or would the show move to Los Angeles? Seacrest also hosts a syndicated morning radio talk show which would have to change time slots.

 

Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Andy Cohen

Cohen has built a rapport with both Ripa and her husband, Mark Consuelos, that not many others can claim. He is also not afraid to ask tough questions to celebrities, which would bring a new twist to the soft, family-friendly format of Live. The problem Cohen faces is that he’s still under contract with Bravo as an executive and host. It is doubtful Cohen would be willing to give up his power in order to co-host a show, even if it is with his best friend and the second-highest rated syndicated talk show on TV.

 

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Megyn Kelly

How about this twist? A woman co-hosting with Ripa. And not just any woman. One of the most polarizing, high-profile women in television right now. Kelly has not been shy about wanting to expand her brand and go beyond politics into an Oprah-like role, while also maintaining her popularity among Republicans who love her on Fox News. Hosting Live! could also allow Kelly to replace Barbara Walters as one of TV’s most well-known longform interviewers. The only issue with this potential move is whether she and Ripa could get along. The show is clearly Ripa’s, but Kelly will want to make a name for herself as well. How do you balance each person’s ambitions?

 

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A different co-host everyday OR Kelly Ripa by herself

When the search was on for Regis’ replacement, the show had a different energy to it every day because there was a different host providing a different vibe. That helped make Live! unique, even though I’m sure it became a little exhausting for Ripa. Maybe they continue in that kind of format every day. But an easier option would be for Ripa to just host the show by herself. She knows the staff, she knows how the show goes, she’s popular with the audience and there aren’t many single-host shows in syndication right now, so there wouldn’t be much competition. This would also give her more power on Live! than she has had in the past, which may be good enough to convince her to renew her contract in 2017.

Neil Patrick Harris is reported to be a finalist, according to Entertainment Tonight, but I don’t believe the hype. Harris may not have a major acting gig at the moment, but it is only a matter of time. The same goes for Josh Groban, who was a finalist during the last audition process. He’s a musician who probably isn’t going to lose his bug for singing. Ripa needs someone who is fully dedicated and won’t leave after five years if she’s going to be convinced to stay beyond her current contract.

About Jessie Karangu

I am a Kenyan-American broadcast journalist.
An avid tweeter (follow me @JMKTV).
I hope to make a difference in the world.
I was the commencement speaker at my college graduation, Scott Van Pelt was the other speaker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFUk5PPFkT0)
I won an award for outstanding achievement in sports from the Emmy organization.
My dream is to be the black Ryan Seacrest.