Kelly Ripa Co-Host: Could NFL Star Be Joining ‘Live’ On A Permanent Basis?
Has a new Kelly Ripa co-host finally been found?
It sounds like ABC may have finally found a team player to replace Michael Strahan as the co-host of Live With Kelly! NFL player Kroy Biermann may currently be a free agent, but he is the newest personality to be linked with landing the job.
The position for Kelly Ripa’s co-host has been vacant for six months now since Strahan’s shocking departure to Good Morning America. In May, Strahan left the show, which he had worked on for four years, without informing co-host Kelly Ripa about his decision, Page Six reported.
Since Strahan’s untimely exit, ABC has been looking to find a permanent replacement for him and has used several guest hosts for the show. So far, about 51 well-known personalities including Anderson Copper, Andy Cohen, and Megan Kelly have appeared on the show as guest co-hosts.
Recently, Fox News anchor Megan Kelly was surprisingly linked with becoming Ripa’s permanent co-host after her appearance increased the show’s ratings dramatically. The ratings were reportedly the highest that Live With Kelly! has achieved in six months — the duration of Strahan’s exit. Despite the favorable ratings, it is unlikely that Megan Kelly would quit her political show, The Kelly File.
This week, former Atlanta Falcons player Kroy Biermann also became a contender to be Kelly Ripa’s co-host after his wife said he was the best man for the job during an interview, the Daily Mail reported.
Kim Zolciak-Biermann said she thinks that her husband would be a perfect replacement for Strahan. The reality television star said Biermann should be Kelly Ripa’s co-host in response to a question from E! on Twitter.
My hubby @biermann71 ???? https://t.co/5QTCFlqbOr
— Kim ZolciakBiermann (@Kimzolciak) November 14, 2016
The 31-year-old footballer also said his friend, Andy Cohen, the host of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, could help him land the ABC job.
Im ready! Let’s go! @Andy I know you can make this happen???????? https://t.co/CPOM7pfbjj
— Kroy Biermann (@biermann71) November 14, 2016
Andy Cohen, who was recently a guest co-host on Live With Kelly! hasn’t commented on Biermann’s tweet. However, while speaking about Strahan’s departure from Live With Kelly! Cohen described the role as the “greatest job on TV.”
Cohen, who is said to be close friends with 46-year-old Kelly Ripa, reportedly said he could not understand why Strahan would quit Live With Kelly! for a show where he would be one of five hosts.
“It’s a job you take and you take it for life,” Cohen said at the time.
“Going to dinner I walked right into Michael Strahan, who said he can’t believe I did him that way, that he was so surprised I joined the piles up,” Cohen revealed after meeting Strahan in May. “I said, ‘Dude, I really like you and I wasn’t going in on you.'”
Cohen has blamed ABC for the current co-host vacancy on Live With Kelly!
“ABC mishandled [Ripa] in a pretty epic way… they seriously [expletive] with her.”
Meanwhile, there are reports that Kelly Ripa’s former co-host Michael Strahan may be having a hard time adjusting to his new job on Good Morning America. Strahan is said to be experiencing fatigue and tiredness from the show only months after taking the job, Celeb Dirty Laundry reported.
The talks of Strahan’s difficulties reportedly began swirling after he said he is difficulties waking up early.
“You know what? I don’t know if you ever adjust to getting up, waking up so early. I don’t know if that’s possible, but I enjoy going in there!”
An allegation that Kelly Ripa is to blame for the lack of a permanent co-host for her show has since been debunked. There were talks that Ripa wanted to go solo and enjoys the fact she is in charge, Gossip Cop recently reported.
Who do you think Kelly Ripa’s new co-host should be?
[Featured Image by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP Photo]
