As 'Good Morning America' Star Prepares to Exit, Multiple Replacement Names Emerge

On November 3, ABC’s hit morning show Good Morning America will celebrate 50 years on the air. Over those five decades, the show has had a number of notable hosts, including David Hartman, Charlie Gibson, Joan Lunden, Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, and George Stephanopoulos. The show is currently hosted by Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Lara Spencer, and Michael Strahan.

Strahan, a former professional football player, was a much-welcome addition to the team, which he joined in 2016. Since then, Strahan has become a household name, and is loved by millions of people, football fans and non-football fans alike.

Michael Strahan on Good Morning America — Credit: Video Screenshot, ‘Good Morning America’, ABC

Last month, fans of the popular morning show were shocked and devastated to learn that Michael Strahan was planning on leaving when his contract expired. A source said that Mr. Strahan would be “out by this summer,” and that he was planning on spending more time with his family, especially his 19-year-old daughter, Isabella, who fought a recent battle against brain cancer.

With Mr. Strahan’s exit coming in a matter of months, several names have emerged as a potential replacement.

Rebecca Jarvis

Possibly the name at the top of everyone’s mind is ABC’s Rebecca Jarvis. Ms. Jarvis has been a part of the ABC family since 2013, when she joined as the Chief Business and Economics Correspondent. She currently serves as ABC’s Chief Business, Technology and Economics Correspondent.

Ms. Jarvis serves as a reporter for all ABC News programs, and can frequently be seen on Good Morning America, World News Tonight With David Muir, 20/20, Nightline, and This Week Tonight With George Stephanopoulos.

If she were to become the next co-anchor of Good Morning America, her transition could be relatively smooth, as she is already a valued member of the ABC and GMA teams.

Eva Pilgrim

Rebecca Jarvis is not the only member of the ABC News family whose name has been mentioned as a potential replacement for Michael Strahan. Eva Pilgrim, who joined the team the same year as Strahan, is another name.

Ms. Pilgrim joined ABC News in January 2016, and in 2023, she got a new position as one of the co-anchors of the Good Morning America spinoff, GMA3: What You Need to Know. Ms. Pilgrim and DeMarco Morgan replaced Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, who were fired after their affair made headlines and rocked the network.

Whit Johnson

Sticking with Good Morning America anchors, another name that has come up as a potential replacement is Whit Johnson. Fans will recognize the anchor as someone who served a key role as a lead correspondent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2018, Mr. Johnson became one of the co-anchors of weekend editions of Good Morning America. He is also known to fill in when other GMA anchors would take some time off, so fans will be familiar with him.

In 2021, Mr. Johnson became an even bigger part of ABC News when it was announced that he would become the official Saturday anchor of World News Tonight.

Malika Andrews

Another name reportedly being considered is Malika Andrews. Ms. Andrews is not part of ABC News, but she is a member of The Walt Disney Family, having played a key role at ESPN for nearly seven years.

Ms. Andrews has become one of the main faces of ESPN’s NBA coverage, and was the first woman to host the NBA Draft in 2022. That same year, she also won the Sports Emmy for Outstanding Personality/Emerging On-Air Talent.

Ms. Andrews’ current contract with ESPN expires this year and has not been renewed as of publication. Therefore, it is possible that The Walt Disney Company, ESPN, and ABC are considering her for a different role within the company.

Will Reeve

For the final name reportedly being considered as Michael Strahan’s replacement, we are going back to the ABC family. According to reports, Will Reeve is also up for the gig.

Will Reeve has been a part of ABC News since 2018 and is the son of Superman (1978) star, Christopher Reeve. Before he joined ABC News seven years ago, he was a part of the ESPN team, working on shows like SportsCenter and College GameDay.

ABC and Hulu also recently aired a special program, Will Reeve: Finding My Father, on February 26. In the show, Will retraced his father’s steps through Alaska and Mexico. Just months before Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident, he had filmed a nature documentary about gray whales.

The special program aired nearly 20 years after Mr. Reeve’s passing in 2004 when Will was just 12 years old.

Will Reeve and Christopher Reeve in Will Reeve: Finding My Father — Credit: ABC/Hulu

At this time, ABC is remaining silent on who they might hire as Michael Strahan’s replacement. From the names being considered, it is clear that executives would like to stay within the Disney family.

And since many of the names being mentioned have worked on Good Morning America, it could make for a seamless transition. The above anchors also have a built-in ABC and ESPN fanbase.

Who would you like to see replace Michael Strahan on Good Morning America? Do you think his replacement should be someone within the ABC family, or should it be someone from the outside? Share your thoughts in the comments!