Welcome to “The Scoop” — the ultimate back-to-the-office water cooler cheat sheet, your go-to source for all things everyone really wants to know! Get the latest on everything from the political swamp maneuvering in D.C. and Hollywood drama to jaw-dropping small-town shenanigans from Paula Froelich. Subscribe to her newsletter here.
(NewsNation) — Michael Strahan is reportedly set to exit Good Morning America when his contract expires this year, multiple sources tell me.
Why is Michael Strahan leaving GMA?
“He will be out by this summer — he’s had enough,” one insider revealed.
Strahan, a former NFL star and longtime TV personality, is looking to focus on his family and his passion for sports commentary. He currently juggles his role as a GMA anchor with his duties as an analyst on Fox NFL Sunday, working up to six or seven days a week during football season.
“It’s a lot,” another source said. “He wants to spend more time with his family.”
Personal challenges and priorities for Michael Strahan
Strahan, 52, recently became a grandfather and has faced a challenging year, particularly after his teenage daughter, Isabella, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a rare brain cancer, in October 2023. The experience reshaped his priorities and had him talking about retirement.
In an interview with Forbes last year, he hinted at a gradual exit from television. “I won’t go cold turkey on everything, but I see myself slowly dropping different things until eventually, you’ll just find me on the golf course.”
He also emphasized the importance of time:
“Time is the one thing that once it’s gone, you can never get it back. I’m very conscious of that, being a dad. That’s what has led me to think more about the end of my career.”
How Michael Strahan’s exit will impact GMA
While Strahan’s departure is a major shake-up, it could help GMA financially. The morning show has been grappling with declining ratings and budget concerns.
Strahan reportedly earns over $20 million per year, a figure that sources claim is becoming unsustainable amid layoffs at ABC News.
As I reported last week, sources inside the building said the resentment toward “Good Morning America” hosts Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan and George Stephanopoulos — and their multi-million dollar paychecks — is reaching a fevered pitch to the point that “they are literally the most hated people in the building right now.”
The issue is multifold. The network recently went through layoffs, and one source said, “Now producers are doing the work of two people… with one paycheck.”
More layoffs are expected at the network.
Morale is down as the show lags behind NBC’s “Today” and, despite resigning Stephanopolous for millions, the network recently agreed to pay $15 million toward Donald Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit over Stephanopoulos’ inaccurate on-air assertion that the president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll.
”Money that could have gone to retain producers and assistant producers,” another source sniffed. “People who have contracts coming up are being offered a measly two percent raise… while ABC pays out a Stephanopolous mistake and keeps the anchor salaries at astronomical numbers.”
Who could replace Michael Strahan at GMA?
With Strahan leaving — and rumors that Robin Roberts may follow within a year — ABC is scrambling to find new talent. According to sources, potential replacements include:
- Malika Andrews (ESPN)
- Rebecca Jarvis (ABC News)
- Eva Pilgrim (GMA 3)
- Whit Johnson (ABC News)
- Will Reeves (ABC News)
No official comment from ABC News, GMA
Despite repeated inquiries, representatives for GMA and ABC News have not responded to requests for comment.