Amy Robach and TJ Holmes said they were “legitimately concerned” for their friend and former co-worker Michael Strahan.
The duo brought attention to recent stories about Strahan’s involvement in a significant moment on live television.
Robach and Holmes said they were shocked when they woke up Monday morning to see headlines regarding their “dear friend.”
Strahan, who works with Good Morning America, is also an analyst and on-air host for NFL on Fox and Fox NFL Sunday programs.
This past Sunday, he was part of the crew for the pre-game, halftime, and postgame coverage of the NFC Championship Game.
The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions in a thrilling game that went down to the wire, and Strahan’s appearance for the trophy presentation drew criticism.
Robach and Holmes addressed ‘brutal’ criticism of ‘dear friend’ Michael Strahan
On the latest Amy & T.J. Podcast episode, the couple turned their attention towards Michael Strahan, whom they worked closely with while at ABC’s Good Morning America and GMA3.
During the NFC Championship postgame festivities this past Sunday, he received criticism for his other TV job as a host and analyst for the NFL on Fox.
A USA Today report called Strahan a “terrible postgame ceremony host” for his coverage of the trophy presentation to the NFC Champions, the San Francisco 49ers. The article indicated the Pro Football Hall of Famer was “generally a mess start to finish.”
Comments also arrived on X, formerly known as Twitter, where individuals called out Strahan’s postgame performance.
“Michael Strahan acting like he’s hosting the Price is Right lol,” one commenter wrote.
Another commenter said he was “butchering the presentation, didn’t even let the great Joe Montana speak and then got nearly everything else wrong.”
During their podcast episode, Robach and Holmes said they’d gone to bed on Sunday evening and missed the live trophy presentation. Upon waking up, they were surprised to see the “aggressive” headlines about their friend.
Holmes said they were “legitimately concerned” after seeing such “strong” words in the headlines and reports about Strahan that they had to see what happened.
“I said, ‘Huh?’ I don’t understand what all the fuss was about,” Robach said her reaction was upon watching the Fox postgame video featuring Strahan. She also referred to the headlines about Strahan as “clickbait.”
Robach and Holmes defended Strahan’s TV work: ‘We took it personal’
Robach also said she saw a “frenetic” live TV segment as Strahan was “trying to be the leader of a three-ring circus” and host the trophy presentation on Fox.
“There’s so much chaos going on. To have to focus and bring this to a live audience is no easy task,” Robach explained.
Holmes said he thought Strahan “did a good job” under the circumstances, adding that “it’s not gonna be perfect” since it’s live television.
“We took it personal, given our longstanding friendships and close ties to Strahan over the years. We’re always watching him and rooting for him, especially in his football coverage,” Holmes said.
The duo continued to discuss their friend getting criticized for the duration of their podcast episode, which lasted over 20 minutes.
Commenters stopped by an Instagram post featuring a video clip from Holmes and Robach’s podcast about Strahan.
One individual suggested they “must have been desperate for a topic to cover this,” while others said they “thought he did fine” or to “Leave him alone.”
Robach encouraged those who read the headlines to “go back and watch what happened on live television” before explaining that during live TV, there is usually someone “in your ear” telling you what to say and do.
“Strahan does not need us to defend him. He’s fine,” Holmes chuckled at one point.
The NFL legend formerly played a starring role on the New York Giants defense, capturing a Super Bowl win in 2007, so he’s been part of an NFC Championship celebration before, albeit on the other side.
In addition to Fox, Strahan currently appears regularly on Good Morning America alongside Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, who are also former colleagues of Holmes and Robach. It’s unknown how close they are with Roberts or Stephanopoulos.
The duo last appeared there in late 2022, before their termination due to headlines about their “scandalous” extramarital affair while working as co-hosts for GMA3.
In December 2023, they debuted the Amy & T.J. Podcast, with most episodes focused on their affair and relationship. The recent episode discussing Strahan was their first delving into a topic beyond their personal lives.