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Lara Spencer’s Return To ‘GMA’ Uncertain Until She Fully Recovers From Serious Hip Surgery

By Heather Tooley
Published on: 03:47 PST, Sep 7, 2016

Lara Spencer’s return to ABC’s Good Morning America depends on her recovery from serious hip surgery. In mid-August, she informed viewers that she’d be having an operation for hip dysplasia, a condition in which cartilage is broken down at a rapid pace. The 47-year-old GMA co-anchor was experiencing chronic pain and was told by her doctor that she’d have to undergo surgery to get her right hip replaced.

The recovery period from such an operation is long enough that many questioned why Lara Spencer hasn’t been on the morning program. If they weren’t aware she was taking a leave of absence to have the surgery, they thought maybe she left the show.

Us Weekly reports that Lara Spencer participated in a phone interview with GMA on Tuesday, September 6 to give everyone a status update.

“I’m feeling great,” Lara Spencer told her co-hosts.

She shared that Robin Roberts came to see her after the August 13 surgery, and she called the visit priceless. She said one of the main things about a surgery like this is there’s an overwhelming feeling of being fatigued and consumed. Robin helped take Lara’s mind off the pain and made her laugh a few hours. Lara Spencer thanked Robin for being such a great friend.

Lara didn’t specify when she was making her return to Good Morning America, but ABC News chief women’s health correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton explained that the full rehab for a hip replacement can be anywhere from three to six months.

Lara Spencer said she’s coming along nicely in her rehab — walking a mile a day, riding bikes, and doing a lot of exercising.

“I’m up to almost a mile a day, Walking,” Spencer said. “At physical therapy I ride the bike and do loads of exercises… that has gotten to me really where I am today. I am so hopeful that I will be back with you guys before you know it.”

When Lara comes back, she’ll be part of another format of GMA. An earlier report published by the Inquisitr reveals that she and Michael Strahan will host a later hour of the show in a more personalized segment with an audience of about 100 people. It’s about staying on top in the ratings with a “more informative, interesting, and entertaining” program for its viewers.

In the new overhaul for GMA, hosts will move to a second-floor set at their studio in Times Square on Thursday, September 8 during the show’s last half-hour. The plan is for Lara Spencer, Michael Strahan, and some of the other hosts to connect on a more intimate level with the crowd. Good Morning America executive producer Michael Corn says the aim is to inject a more energetic atmosphere into the show. He describes the format as being “a lot looser in terms of how we can use our anchors.”

Not long after Michael Strahan was announced to start working on GMA, there were rumors sparked that Lara Spencer was being phased out of the show. Page Six ran a report claiming this was the case after allegedly speaking with several TV insiders, but a spokeswoman for GMA cleared up the false speculations.

“Any suggestion that Lara is being phased out is ridiculous,” said Heather Riley, spokeswoman for Good Morning America told People magazine. “We are lucky to have her as a part of the GMA team, and she is integral to the success of the show.”

Lara Spencer isn’t going anywhere and will certainly return to GMA after she heals from her surgery. Viewers are anxious to see her come back and be a part of the show again.

[Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images]

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