Michael Strahan returned to work at Good Morning America today, reporting from his home town in Houston after a summer vacation on his yacht in Greece.
The show made hay out of the prodigal Houstonian’s return to his flood-wracked city, having him revisit his high school and cutting shots of him hugging tragedy-stricken members of the public to Cathy Heller’s ‘Heart of a Hero’.
But Strahan has reportedly been seen as more of a villain by his GMA bosses for not cutting his vacation short to report from Houston earlier – and so may now be working twice as hard to get back in their good graces.
He’s got it covered: Michael Strahan was back at work for GMA on Tuesday after a two-week holiday on a yacht in Greece during Hurricane Harvey’s assault on his hometown of Houston
Southern comfort: Strahan gave warming hugs and chest-bumps to survivors of the flooding. Producers had reportedly been furious that he hadn’t cut his holiday short to cover the storm
Strahan seemed a little unsteady on his feet as he returned to work Tuesday – and not just because he was walking across the warped and buckled floor of his high-school gym.
‘Hey, good morning, Robin,’ he said as anchor Robin Robert threw to him from the New York studio.
‘And I’m here, Robin, at the gym – one of the gyms, at CE King High School,’ he stuttered slightly, ‘and at one point the water was at such a level there was fish swimming on the gym floor.’
Whether the stutter was down to him getting back into the swing of things for the 7am broadcast, or emotion at seeing his old high school ruined by the water wasn’t clear.
What was clear was that he had been getting down to brass tacks the previous day, hugging emotional residents and taking in the scope of the devastation.
He then continued those efforts on Tuesday, meeting a high-school football team who had cleaned up after the storm.
Unsteady as he goes? Strahan stumbled over his words as he reported from his old high-school gym, though whether that was because he’d just gone back to work or high emotions isn’t clear
Recovery position: Strahan was working hard after the reported feud with bosses – although his spokesperson denies that they had ever asked him to return to the show
It was certainly a far cry from how he’d spent the previous two weeks, during which – as Page Six reported – GMA producers had struggled to get him to leave his Greek paradise.
‘ABC News asked Strahan to come home from his vacation,’ an insider said. ‘He’s from Houston. But he refused and is still floating around on a yacht in Greece somewhere.’
The program’s staff were said to be in disbelief that he hadn’t returned to report on the the unprecedented rainfall in the country’s fourth-largest city.
But Strahan’s rep denied that asked Strahan to return from his vacation, and added that he had been in ‘direct contact with his family,’ who were ‘doing fine’.
Strahan was certainly in direct contact with Houston locals on Tuesday morning, as he hugged, chest-bumped and high-fived his way through segments that were both moving and heartening.
They included taking in the ruined home of a local family and bringing in ex-Cowboy Deion Sanders to give Under Armour-branded ware to a high school football team that had worked to clean up its school.
Other notable television journalists, including CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Strahan’s GMA colleague Robin Roberts – a native of Alabama – returned from their slated off-time to commandeer broadcasts for their respective networks.
Team effort: Strahan brought in former Cowboys player Deion Sanders (in black and white cap) to give clothes to a high-school football team that had helped clean up
Happy returns? Strahan’s co-host Robin Roberts (pictured center, orange dress) of Alabama reportedly cut her holiday short to return to work without being asked
Insiders told the paper that ABC execs hadn’t requested Roberts come back early, but the veteran TV personality did so on her own accord.
Strahan took to social media last week to send a message of hope, writing, ‘To my hometown of Houston and everyone there…I Love You and am praying for your safety. H-TOWN LOVE!’
From 1993 to 2007, Michael played on the New York Giants football team.
He co-hosted Live! with Kelly from 2008 to 2016, before leaving for his current position as a co-anchor at Good Morning America.
Aside from his sports accomplishments, he’s also acted in Magic Mike XXL, Are We There Yet? and the TV series Brothers.
Sending love: Strahan took to social media earlier this week to send love and prayers to his embattled hometown and its residents