Good Morning America regulars Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts were recently missing from the show’s lineup amid their other TV projects.
While both appeared on episodes this past week, only George Stephanopoulos appeared on the Friday episode of GMA.
Strahan was noticeably missing from the show for nearly three weeks but returned last month after attending to “personal family matters.”
Along with his hosting at GMA, he’s also one of the analysts on the live Fox NFL Sunday episodes each weekend and hosts The $100,000 Pyramid game show, which airs pre-recorded episodes on ABC.
Roberts had been appearing on the show more regularly, with absences here or there for a vacation, such as her recent visit to see family with her wife.
In addition, Strahan and Roberts each have other TV projects that have either debuted or will debut soon.
GMA’s George Stephanopoulos joined by replacement co-hosts
As the Friday, December 8 episode of GMA arrived, George Stephanopoulos was at the desk, while Strahan and Roberts were noticeably missing.
DeMarco Morgan and Juju Chang, who have appeared previously as replacements on the ABC morning program, were filling in for them.
None of the GMA hosts indicated why Strahan or Roberts were absent for the latest episode.
At least one viewer seemed irritated with both regular co-hosts being out. According to The Sun, an individual took to social media to express their frustration.
“It’s another Friday GMA with just George Stephanopoulos. Lazy no-shows Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts taking advantage of Kim Godwin because they get a free pass,” a social media user ranted, per The Sun.
Godwin has been the president of ABC News since April 2021.
Strahan to appear in an upcoming football film
As mentioned, Michael Strahan has plenty of additional TV gigs, such as Pyramid and Fox NFL Sunday. He co-founded SMAC Entertainment, which regularly launches new programs that he is attached to, such as TV series and documentaries.
One of the latest that Strahan has promoted involves hip-hop star Snoop Dogg and is called The Underdoggs.
It’s an R-rated film that stars Snoop and actor-comedian Mike Epps. Strahan shared a preview trailer (NSFW) on his official Instagram to showcase the Amazon Prime film in which he also has a role.
“Looking forward to this! Congrats @conschwartz and @snoopdogg on bringing this to life!👊🏾 👏🏾 @smacentertainment,” Strahan wrote in his IG post’s caption.
“2024 is the year of the underdog. Check out #TheUnderdoggs, premiering January 26 on @primevideo,” he wrote.
Snoop will play former NFL player Jaycen Jennings, who will take on the job of coaching a youth football team to avoid going to prison. Others appearing in the film include former NFL star Deion Sanders and actor-comedians Andrew Schulz and George Lopez.
The Underdoggs premieres on January 26 on Amazon Prime streaming.
Roberts will have an exclusive TV interview
Roberts, known for interviewing many famous people over the years, has an exclusive interview on the way.
According to the New York Post, she’ll have an exclusive first interview with WNBA star Brittney Griner on ABC.
Griner, a member of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, made headlines last year due to her detainment and imprisonment in Russia after a cartridge containing less than a gram of prescribed hash oil was allegedly found in her luggage.
The reported discovery of the substance, illegal in Russia, resulted in Griner going on trial, where she pled guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison, per Sports Illustrated.
United States officials stated that Griner was “wrongfully detained.” They ultimately arranged for a Russian prisoner exchange to bring Griner back to the US in December 2022 after she’d been detained for ten months.
She rejoined her team and made her official WNBA reappearance to a standing ovation on May 19, 2023. She’ll give more of her story to GMA’s Robin Roberts in the exclusive interview, which doesn’t have an official release date yet.
Per the NY Post, a Griner documentary for ESPN Films is also in the works, with the possibility of a scripted series on the way.