There’s something unhealthy but fascinating about certain celebrity feuds, and we can usually count on other famous faces to chime in to take sides in the conflict. Instead of taking side, Maury host Maury Povich preferred to slam both Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan for the drama currently surrounding the set of Live! With Kelly And Michael. He definitely didn't mince words. Here's what he had to say:
Both of them ought to leave their diva cages and be thankful they have an audience.
Them’s fightin’ words, Maury Povich! His comment to Fox 411 that Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan need to leave their “diva cages” is distinctly unsympathetic coming from the host of a show that seems to exist off of the buzz of melodrama. With paternity tests, polygraph tests, and sex secrets as regular features on his show, it’s a sign of just how unimpressed Maury Povich is with the state of affairs at Live! With Kelly And Michael that he'd make this remark. Of course, given that his entire show is practically one big diva cage, Povich is definitely qualified to judge what does and does not constitute “diva” behavior.
In case you’re not up on the melodrama surrounding Live! With Kelly And Michael, here’s what happened: Michael Strahan announced that he would be leaving Live! after four years to take a permanent gig on Good Morning America. Normally, such news would be cause for a co-host to magnanimously congratulate his or her on-air partner for taking advantage of a new opportunity. Unfortunately, nobody thought to give Kelly Ripa much of a heads up that she’d be losing the Michael half of Live! With Kelly And Michael. In response, Ripa took off for an unscheduled absence from Live!, leaving Strahan temporarily without the Kelly half of their act.
Michael Strahan has had good things to say about Kelly Ripa and even went so far as to hint that his decision to leave was based on his treatment by a producer. Still, it seems that the lack of forewarning and subsequent rumors that Live! would be cancelled to give way for more Good Morning America took their toll on Ripa’s tolerance. She returned to Live! to big ratings, but she also dropped a blatant barb on-air against Strahan about his divorces.
On the whole, the escalation of drama at Live! With Kelly And Michael has been public enough that fellow talk show host Maury Povich would have reason to weigh in on how these others in the biz have conducted themselves. With Maury, the diva behavior, although expected, comes from the guests. Povich could have understandably expected more of Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan.
Luckily for Maury Povich, Michael Strahan’s run on Live! With Kelly And Michael will come to an end on May 13, so the feud should soon run out of steam soon. Be sure to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to see what shows you’ll be able to catch in the not-too-distant future.
