Andy Cohen Defends BFF Kelly Ripa, Slams Michael Strahan for Leaving 'Live!' So Soon

Andy Cohen is defending one of his best friends, Kelly Ripa, in the wake of her Live! with Kelly & Michael co-host Michael Strahan‘s announcement that he is leaving the show after four years.

“I’ve been getting so many questions about what’s going on with my friend Kelly Ripa, and ‘How’s she doing?’ and ‘What do you think?’ You know, I want to say that she… I know she spent the weekend celebrating her 20th anniversary with Mark, which has been a long-planned vacation. So don’t get her trending on Twitter today because she’s not at work. She is on a long-planned vacation,” the 47-year-old Watch What Happens Live host said on his SiriusXM radio show.

“You know, when I look at this whole situation, it’s worth nothing, the two of them, Kelly and Michael, they had such great chemistry,” he continued. “And I’m just looking at this and it just seems like a premature end to a great relationship that ended way too prematurely. So much has been written about this situation and how it was handled. I’ve been a TV executive or producer for 25 years, so I’m always fascinated to see how TV things go down. I can’t say this went down the greatest way.”

Click inside to read what Andy Cohen said about Michael Strahan’s decision to leave…

“The thing that no one is talking about is, to me, is that the job of co-hosting Live! is the greatest job in TV,” Andy said. “She’s so good at it and he’s really good at it, and it’s a job you take and you take it for life. She’s been at that job for 15 years. I was celebrating on her 15th anniversary show about two months ago. You keep that job. You don’t go anywhere. So I can’t get over that he left Live! where he was co-hosting Live! With Kelly and Michael. Your name is in the freakin’ title! You can spend your life here! You can spend 15 years here and make serious bank, by the way. And still do GMA twice a week or do Pyramid or whatever else he’s doing.”

“He left and went to GMA. He is now one of five people sitting at that crowded anchor desk,” he continued. “It’s like 18 co-anchors and here’s my thing: What happens if the ratings don’t go up? What happens if there’s not a pickup? Then what’s going to happen to that sweet man? Honestly! Because by then she’ll have a new co-host. I don’t know. I just don’t see how you leave the greatest team in TV to be one of five people.”

“I am really looking forward to tomorrow morning on Live!,” Andy said. “And I’ve spoken to Kelly a bunch of times. I can’t wait to see what she says. Right? Who’s not going to be watching that tomorrow? I just think she had this great relationship on TV. You know? And it was a big, bad breakup.”