Michael Strahan Officially Named 'Live' Cohost

NFL broadcaster joined Kelly Ripa on Tuesday's show

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/4/2012 9:47:10 AM

Kelly Ripa officially announced NFL broadcaster Michael Strahan as her permanent cohost on Live Tuesday morning, confirming the news first reported by B&C last month.

The first day of the new Live with Kelly and Michael ends the syndicated talk show's nine-month search for a new cohost following Regis Philbin's departure late last year.

"As a guest cohost, Michael's chemistry with Kelly was off the charts, and continued to grow each time he visited the show," said Michael Gelman, Live's executive producer. "The interaction between the cohosts always has been what makes this show different from any other on television. Kelly and Michael's ability to play off of one another and just plain have a good time together creates great TV for the audience."

Strahan was considered a front-runner along with Seth Meyers and Josh Groban in the final months of the search. He has cohosted with Ripa 20 times over the last two years. In addition to his role at Fox NFL Sunday, which he is expected to keep along with the Live job, Strahan starred in the brief Fox sitcom Brothers.