Last month, the third hour of Good Morning America — Strahan, Sara and Keke — was cancelled by ABC.
And co-host Keke Palmer revealed she ‘expected’ the morning talk show would be axed while confirming it would not be returning, as she talked with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live.
The 26-year-old actress attributed the decision to the close and ‘audience’ oriented nature of the show, during her Sunday night visit.
Expected: Keke Palmer revealed she ‘expected’ her hour of Good Morning America would be axed while confirming it would not be returning, as she talked with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live on Sunday
Keke said she wasn’t surprised by ABC’s decision to cancel the show, because it wasn’t suited to social distancing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
She said: ‘[It was] expected, because when the pandemic hit that’s what became all on our minds.’
‘I kind of knew that if our show did come back it would have to be much much much later,’ she added. ‘Because our show was really about an audience.’
The former True Jackson VP star said: ‘It’s about entertainment, it’s fun. We’re in a different time now, so some of the conversation has changed.’
Audience: The 26-year-old actress attributed the decision to the close and ‘audience’ oriented nature of the show, saying ‘I kind of knew that if our show did come back it would have to be much much much later,’ she added. ‘Because our show was really about an audience’
There to entertain: The former True Jackson VP star said: ‘It’s about entertainment, it’s fun. We’re in a different time now, so some of the conversation has changed’
The third hour of Good Morning America was cancelled in favor of a news roundup hour as shows adjust to restrictions around the coronavirus pandemic.
Keke’s comments come after she recently hit out at speculation that her activism surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement had caused the show to be axed.
One fan wrote on social media: ‘Ain’t it weird how Keke Palmer was seen protesting and preaching to the police about racism in our country then ABC decides to cancel her show. (sic)’
But the Hustlers star responded to insist you don’t have to ‘be punished’ ‘for speaking your mind.
The show: Strahan, Sara and Keke, which aired on ABC less than two years, was nominated for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show, and Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Hosts at the Daytime Emmys in 2020 before being cancelled last month
Not the reason: Keke’s comments come after she recently hit out at speculation that her activism surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement had caused the show to be axed
‘I want to speak on this simply because I hate the narrative that if you speak your mind as a Black person that you will in some way be punished,’ she wrote to Instagram.
Adding: ‘I have seen this going around and at first I ignored, but in this climate I realized this is a dangerous message to send to our generation and the generation coming up.’
She said: ‘If anything, my speaking out showed the corporations I work with how important my voice is and anyone that has a POV. (sic)’
‘But when I see such fear mongering comments I want to speak out so that no one ever feels or thinks that speaking out will cost them their job! I’m sure it can and has before, but let’s also recognize when it has not,’ Palmer said.
Motivation: The television personality revealed she decided to speak out to quell the narrative that if you speak your mind as a black person that you will in some way be punished
‘That way more of us with our own minds speak out against any injustices we see. Trust me, walking in my truth has always made my blessings OVERFLOW and connect to those that are like minded and not with those that are not,’ she added. ‘Do not believe this lie. Stay courageous and stay true because GOD HAS YOU ALWAYS. (sic)’
Strahan, Sara and Keke, which aired on ABC less than two years, was nominated for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show, and Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Hosts at the Daytime Emmys in 2020.
But in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the talk show was replaced in mid-March by the daily Coronavirus report — Pandemic: What You Need to Know.
A source told Page Six, ‘[Pandemic] was initially supposed to be a two-week experiment’ but the show ended up having good ratings.
Backlash? Host Michael Strahan shared his concerns about inequality at the network during an anti-racism symposium on June 4 in front of all ABC and Disney employees and Bob Iger, executive chairman of The Walt Disney Company
Strahan shared his concerns about inequality at the network during an anti-racism symposium on June 4 in front of all ABC and Disney employees and Bob Iger, executive chairman of The Walt Disney Company.
The news of cancellation came just weeks after host Michael Strahan told an ABC/Disney anti-racism symposium he felt he couldn’t ‘speak up or raise his voice’ with studio executives for fear of being seen as threatening as a black man.
Insiders maintain Strahan was referring to his time co-hosting Live With Kelly And Michael from 2012 to 2016, which ended with him abruptly leaving the show to move to GMA full-time.