A few years back legendary TV host Regis Philbin vacated his much coveted early morning talk show seat which left a few of today’s younger men vying for the comfy chair. There was Nick Lachey, Josh Groban and Jerry O’Connell among others, “auditioning” themselves in guest spots for months, waiting patiently for management, ratings and audience reaction.
With the show guaranteed to give you a mega-career and wallet, make you the “toast of the town’, and offered opportunities you never thought possible, you can imagine the prayers being recited behind close doors.
Witty, smart, ballsy and funny, native New Yorker Jerry O’Connell married to actress Rebecca Romijn with young twin daughters, has family on Long Island, and REALLY wanted the gig and went after it vehemently, as I’m sure did the others.
In the end, it wasn’t to be and former NY Giants football star/Hall of Famer Michael Strahan already with a TV show as football analyst for FOX NFL Sunday, came out of left field and beat the competition.
Hence, ‘Live with Kelly & Michael’ was born and the likeable footballer would now have two major shows and have to exhaustively travel back and forth from coast to coast every weekend.
Speaking of opportunities, Strahan is now also part of ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ team as an anchor and was tapped after Sam Champion and Josh Elliot defected to rival NBC.
O’Connell went on to star in a few TV shows, one for CBS but none stuck. However, when he co-hosted on ABC’s chat-fest ‘The View’ back in February (pictured), CBS apparently liked what they saw.
Word on the street is the possible new CBS show, which would take the place of Queeen Latifah‘s ratings challenged morning show now airing at 9am weekdays, will have co-hosts and guest stars, is now taping at least three test shows.
Let the games begin.