There's nothing quite like starting the day off with a cup of coffee and catching up on news by watching your favorite cohosts discuss the latest headlines. If Good Morning America's coanchor Michael Strahan comes to mind, you're not the only one. Since joining the ABC daytime show in 2016, he has become a staple alongside Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos. But recently, many folks pointed out that the 50-year-old NFL Hall of Famer was noticeably absent from the news desk.
After not seeing him consistently during the month of March, GMA fans tried to find answers on #GMA Twitter to figure out where Michael was. In a happy surprise, he returned to GMA on March 11 though he stopped short of explaining why he left. "Great to be with you on this Friday morning. It's good to be back at the desk," he said.
According to his Instagram, he was doing well off-camera while he was away but he also didn't shared a reason on there for his absence. That said, this didn't stop folks from asking what was going on behind the scenes. On March 7, the TV personality posted a selfie on Instagram with a lighthearted message to help fans kick off their week on a good note. In the photo, Michael wore a grey hoodie and aviator sunglasses. What's more, his followers also got a glimpse into his home. "Happy Monday! LOLOL 😂😎," he captioned it.
As cool as he looked, fans quickly took to the comments section to bombarded him with questions about why he's been absent from the morning show. One person wrote: "Happy Monday Michael. When you coming back on GMA, miss seeing you too. 🥰." Another added: "We miss you in the morning. Hope all is well in your world 🙏🏽💕." A different fan said: "Nice shades Michael! When are you back to GMA? Miss your big smile and great attitude!"
Although viewers continued asking the same question in his next Instagram posted the following day, Michael didn't offer answers about his hiatus. But by the looks of it, he might have just been enjoying some much needed downtime. While he was away, outlets reported that no one directly addressed why Michael hadn't appeared on GMA. In the meantime, fellow GMA stars Lara Spencer and T.J. Holmes filled in for him.
While Michael has kept folks in the dark about his latest whereabouts, his recent activity on-air could be related to projects off-camera. Throughout his time on GMA, he has launched several clothing brands, including Collection by Michael Strahan at JCPenney, MSX by Michael Strahan and MSX by Michael Strahan for NFL. What's more, he's featured in Fox's NFL coverage as a sports analyst and he continues hosts the game show The $100,000 Pyramid.
As for lingering concerns about Michael leaving GMA permanently, this probably won't be happening anytime soon. This past fall, he signed a multi-year deal for GMA that secured him as a coanchor for another four years. So, even if he steps away from the show every now and then, there's good reason to believe that he will come back eventually.
Katherine Tinsley is a pop culture and beauty-obsessed journalist who has worked with Live the Process, The Knockturnal and Dreamlette covering all things beauty, culture and lifestyle. Her work has allowed her to merge all of these interests into her writing and interview style.
