Get ready to say "good morning" to Michael Strahan. After weeks of speculation, ABC confirmed Tuesday, April 15, that the former NFL player will be joining Good Morning America part-time, beginning next week.
Strahan, 42, currently cohosts Live! with Kelly Ripa, a gig he will be keeping with the addition of his new role. The New York Giants alum made his first appearance on GMA on Tuesday, telling his new coworkers, including Lara Spencer, Robin Roberts, and George Stephanopoulos, "It's a pleasure to get up early because you guys have been so good to us, Kelly and I."
Spencer called Strahan a "super-sized personality," while Roberts added, "We're so excited. You're going to join us a couple days a week."
Stephanopolous chimed in, "The way you and Kelly stepped in, especially when Robin was away and dealing with her transplant, was so special to all of us." Roberts took time away from GMA in 2012 to undergo a bone marrow transplant to treat myelodysplastic syndrome.
Strahan joins the program after the departure of two of GMA's male hosts: newsman Josh Elliott who left to join NBC Sports, and weatherman Sam Champion who departed for a new role at the Weather Channel.
After retiring from the NFL in 2007, Strahan joined Fox's NFL Sunday pregame show, going on to make his first appearance as a full-time cohost on Live! in 2012.