Thursday, July 2, 2026

Kelly vs. Michael: Coincidence That It’s Timed With TV’s May Sweeps Ratings?

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Yes, Kelly Ripa brought up Michael Strahan’s divorce today on their show. But the show was taped yesterday. It’s much ado about nothing. The show is WRITTEN. Strahan knew they were going to discuss “bird nesting.”

I think it’s more interesting that this is all happening exactly as the May sweeps start in TV ratings. Kelly’s Tuesday return spiked the ratings. The next day the sweeps period began. Now they’re going to do a big finale with Strahan on May 13th in the middle of the ratings period.

Sweeps occur in February, May, July, and November. That’s when nighttime TV shows give you cliffhangers and guest stars. Soap operas kill or marry off characters to stir interest. And Kelly and Michael snipe at each other.

In the old days, publicists used to plant items in the supermarket tabs that Regis and Kathie “hated” each other. In fact, they were best of pals, and dined together on weekends.

Watch social media, etc get ginned up to a fever pitch over the next two weeks. This is genius old fashioned publicity. Everyone is talking about this show. It’s not an accident.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009, where he covered Michael Jackson, and previously wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine in the mid-1990s, where he covered the O.J. Simpson trial. He also edited Fame magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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