One on One with Michael Strahan
HAMMER: Well, reports that Michael Strahan has grabbed the permanent live co-hosting gig are blowing up tonight. There have been 59 guest hosts since Regis Philbin left the show last year. But Strahan has sat next to Kelly Ripa more than any of them. There`s no question these guys have amazing chemistry on set together. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did go one on one with Strahan at his home before he became the apparent heir to Regis, and he told us why he would love to be Kelly`s TV hubby for good. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S Michelle Turner has our "SHOWBIZ Flashback" with Michael Strahan.</s>MICHAEL STRAHAN, FORMER NFL PLAYER: I try to not think about it as replacing Regis. Nobody could ever do that. And I think if you put in that aspect and you think about it, it`s just too big. So I just look at it as an opportunity to go on TV and tell stories, and have fun, entertain myself and other people. And not look at the big magnitude, the scope of it. And...</s>MICHELLE TURNER, HLN CORRESPONDENT: But you`re getting the job out there right now.</s>STRAHAN: Yes, and you and I are sitting here talking about how we`re country and where we came from. And I`m like, I grew up in the country. Then I go to Germany. Then I come back to the states. I`m not supposed to play football and I play football for 15 great years. And then I`m on FOX now. And all of a sudden, I have an opportunity for this. It blows my mind, too. I don`t get it. I`m just riding the wave. I`m enjoying it. I ride the wave. But I think this show fits my personality to -- I get along with Kelly great. I mean, very hard for me not to get along with pretty much anybody.</s>TURNER: You guys do have chemistry.</s>STRAHAN: I get along with her great. I love her. She`s really a sweetheart. And what you see on the show is what you get off the show, which is very much me. If you see me now, this is what you`re going to get. Because I don`t want to -- I`m not trying to fool anybody and be something that I`m not. Because it`s too hard to live up to those things. And but it`s a contrast. Here I am this big, athlete guy, and here she is, athletic, but just a little woman. And just the two contrasts -- but I think we relate in a lot of ways because of the kids and family and just, you know, life in general and how we move around and the things that happen to us.</s>TURNER: How does it feel, though, when you hear people say Michael Strahan is the front-runner for this job?</s>STRAHAN: I don`t think about it.</s>TURNER: No?</s>STRAHAN: No.</s>TURNER: Do you think you`re the front-runner?</s>STRAHAN: I try not to picture myself as that.</s>TURNER: No?</s>STRAHAN: I don`t want to get my hopes up. I`ve never done that. Even when I was playing, I never did it. I never watched and go, yes, I had a great year. Going to watch some film of my year. No. I felt like once I started doing that, then I would go, "I am pretty good. I am people like" -- then you slack.</s>TURNER: Well, you`ve had people -- I mean, a lot of people love Neil Patrick Harris, and he came out and said, "This is a great gig. I love it, but I`m not going to do it. I live in L.A. I tape in L.A." You live in L.A. You tape in L.A.</s>STRAHAN: I tape one day a week in L.A. I tape one day a week during the football season on Sundays. So for me...</s>TURNER: So you could do both?</s>STRAHAN: I could do both. Yes, because to me...</s>TURNER: Would you do both?</s>STRAHAN: Of course I`d do both. I`d do both in a heartbeat. I like to work. I love to work. And I love to work, doing work that I like. So for me it would be Monday through Friday, New York, and then I`d come out here and do that show, NFL show on Sunday, and then I`d go back and do the show again. It would definitely work.</s>TURNER: What I read today was sources say "Live with Kelly" officials are getting closer to nailing down a deal with Michael Strahan.</s>STRAHAN: I hope so. You read something Michael Strahan didn`t read, but Michael Strahan is hoping so.</s>TURNER: So if they offered you the gig, you`d be like, "New York City"?</s>STRAHAN: If they offered me the gig, I would be in New York before the ink dried. Of course.</s>HAMMER: Well, there you go. And that was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Michelle Turner right there at Michael`s home. ABC officials tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they`re not commenting on who will be Kelly Ripa`s official co-host, despite all the reports that Michael`s got the job. The official announcement comes in two weeks. Well, here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Taylor Swift`s record-breaking new single just sold 623,000 downloads in its first week. She`s hotter than ever. That got us wondering: would Taylor be the perfect choice to fill one of reality TV`s most coveted jobs? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is recruiting top entertainers and saying, "You`re hired."