Andy Cohen calls the Live! with Kelly and Michael drama ‘a bad breakup’ – and wants Anderson Cooper to co-host!

Andy Cohen can’t wait to watch what happens on Live.

The Bravo host weighed in on the media storm surrounding Michael Strahan’s surprise exit — and Kelly Ripa’s subsequent absence — from Live! with Kelly and Michael on his radio show Monday.

First thing’s first: Cohen defended his pal Ripa, 45, not appearing on the ABC talk show last week and Monday, confirming that she spent her pre-planned days off celebrating her 20th anniversary with husband Mark Consuelos.

“Don’t get her trending on Twitter today because she’s not at work,” said Cohen, 47.

The New York Times has reported that Ripa was blindsided by the news minutes before the network’s official announcement.

“They had such great chemistry,” Cohen said. “It just seems like a premature end to a great relationship. … I think so much has been written about this situation and how it was handled. I’ve been a TV executive or producer for over 25 years, so I’m always fascinated to see how TV things go down. I can’t say this went down in the greatest way.”

As for the ex-NFL player leaving Live after four years for a full-time gig on Good Morning America, Cohen suggested the move is a mistake: “He is now one of five people sitting at that crowded anchor desk.”

“The thing that no one is talking about is to me the job of co-hosting Live is the greatest job in TV. And she’s so good at it and he was so good at it, but it’s a job you take and you take it for life. She’s been at that job for 15 years,” he said. “You keep that job. You don’t go anywhere. So I can’t get over that he left Live … your name is in the freakin’ title!”

“I just think she had this great relationship on TV, and it was a big, bad breakup,” he added of Ripa, who’s returning to Live alongside Strahan on Tuesday. “It was a bad breakup.”

As for who should replace Strahan, 44, in September, Cohen tossed another “buddy’s name into the ring: CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.

“He would be so good co-hosting that show,” he gushed.

Hear Andy Cohen Live every Monday at 10 am ET on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy (Ch. 102) or on the SiriusXM app.

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