NEWSMichael Strahan Tested Positive For COVID-19 — When Will He Return To 'Good Morning America'?
Former football player and Good Morning America host Michael Strahan has tested positive for COVID-19.
The unsettling news was shared during Thursday’s taping of the morning show when Robin Roberts finally addressed why Strahan had been absent from GMA all week.
"We know you have noticed that Michael has not been here with us this week. He wanted us to let you know that he has tested positive for COVID,” the 60-year-old said. “He’s at home quarantining right now.”
George Stephanopoulos chimed in by assuring viewers at home that his co-host, who has been keeping in touch with colleagues through Zoom video calls, was “feeling well,” yet there was no mention of how long Strahan will be gone for.
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"So many of you have reached out to him and asked about him and he says, 'Thank you,' for the concern and well wishes. He's also feeling well and looking forward to being back here shortly,” he said.
“You should know that all of us here — both in front of the camera and behind the scenes — have been cleared by Disney to be here after contact tracing and following CDC guidelines."
While the Texas native has recently been doing a large portion of his work from the comfort of his home, including his weekly analysis on the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show, Strahan has been absent from GMA for a while, which even led some people to believe he had quit.
It turns out he’s been in quarantine all along.
Viewers can expect to see more of Strahan’s co-stars — Roberts, Stephanopoulos, Amy Robach, Lara Spencer and Ginger Zee — while the former professional athlete fights the contagious coronavirus.
Strahan joined GMA back in 2016, right after deciding to leave Live! With Kelly and Michael when ABC reportedly offered him an estimated $20 million to jump ship.
Live! With Kelly and Michael was said to have earned Strahan between $10-12 million a year, so the move to co-host GMA saw him almost double his annual salary.
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“They moved Michael because they are trying to close the gap [in ratings with the Today show] with a younger demographic,” an ABC source told PEOPLE.
“We’re talking hundreds of millions of dollars. … This was bigger than just Michael wanting to do more, because of the money involved. This would have been a company decision.”
TMZ first reported about Strahan testing positive.
