‘Kelly + Michael’ Wins Daytime Emmy Amid Weeks-Long Set Drama
Michael Strahan's days at Live might be numbered, but he's leaving with one hell of a compensation package — he and co-host Kelly Ripa just won their second Emmy in a row less than two weeks after Strahan announced he was leaving the show.
Strahan and Ripa split the award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host at the 43rd Daytime Emmy Awards, Deadline reported. Neither attended last night's (May 1) ceremony — which was not televised — and Dr. Mehmet Oz, whose Dr. Oz won the award for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host, accepted on their behalf.
The win comes amid tension between the co-hosts, whose discord has been apparent to viewers since Strahan announced plans to accept a new job at Good Morning America. Ripa, who was given virtually no notification of the move, skipped the April 20 taping and remained off the air for nearly a week. Upon her return, she assured the show's live audience that fences had been mended, but insisted that ABC handled the situation poorly, and urged the network to be more forthright, communicative and respectful.
Since her return, Ripa's made a few seemingly passive-aggressive remarks toward Strahan. In one broadcast, she ushered his divorce into conversation, eliciting a surprised look from Strahan. In another, she joked that she wanted to take a visiting wildlife expert's armadillo "into contract negotiations."
Strahan and Ripa beat out the hosts of The Real, The Talk, The View and Wendy Williams to score the trophy.
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