Michael Strahan Leaves ‘LIVE!’ As Kelly Ripa Leaves Staff Fuming!

It was a bittersweet end for "LIVE! With Kelly and Michael" — as feuding co-hosts Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan parted ways over his abrupt departure to "Good Morning America." Michael left his co-hosting duties months early after ABC executives decided that things were simply too tense between Kelly and her co-host. The famously-upbeat blonde hadn't been shy about expressing her displeasure over Michael's sneaking off to another show without telling her. As insiders told The National ENQUIRER, the top brass was worried that Kelly's enduring anger towards Michael would end up damaging the "LIVE!" brand over the summer.

Michael's final show went along harmlessly, though — although he didn't get a big sendoff. There was simply talk of Michael's departure at the start of the show, and a segment featuring the morning team's top moments over the past four years. "I'm still in the family," Michael insisted. But backstage, Kelly (seen here going to their final taping) had "LIVE!" staffers fearing for their jobs!

"The staff at 'LIVE!' are already convinced that ABC plans to expand 'Good Morning America' by an hour," said a network insider. "That would bump 'LIVE!' to an afternoon slot to fight for a new audience. And now there's no reason for the executives to kiss up to Kelly!"

ABC brass were angered when the morning host complained in a magazine interview that executives hadn't shown her "respect in the workplace" — adding: "I think that all people are deserving of fair treatment in the workplace. People deserve respect. People should be treated equally and with dignity."

"That all sounded like code for saying that Kelly was treated poorly because she's a woman," said the insider. "The network is really concerned about showing off diversity right now. ABC just gave huge development packages to two women of color, and here's Kelly trying to shame them!"

Staffers at "LIVE!" now have a new reason to anxiously await Michael's replacement host. "They're hoping that the rotating co-hosts over the summer will bring in ratings, but Kelly is already pushing hard for Anderson Cooper to take the position. But it's not likely that Anderson will leave CNN, or try to keep both jobs if he has to host 'LIVE!' in the afternoon. If he ends up dropping out of consideration, staffers are going to start fearing the worst!"