Kelly Ripa gets candid about talk show drama on 'Live!'

Kelly Ripa has come clean about the drama at Live! in the wake of Michael Strahan's departure -- a conflict that, at one point, left many wondering whether Ripa would ever return to the show she's hosted since 2001.

Ripa's Tuesday appearance was the first she's made on the morning show since last week, when Strahan announced he was leaving Live! to join Good Morning America.

After receiving a standing ovation, Ripa said she's been "overwhelmed" by the outpouring of support she's gotten during a tumultuous time at Live! -- but emphasized that "apologies" had smoothed out the ripples that led to her sudden absence. (ABC personally apologized to Ripa for the way she learned of Strahan's departure.)

"What transpired over the course of a few days has been extraordinary in the sense that it started a much greater conversation about communication and consideration and, most importantly, respect in the workplace," she said. 

Ripa's return comes exactly one week after Strahan announced he was leaving the Live! chair, ending a four-year run to expand his role at GMA, where he's been appearing on a recurring basis. 

After the announcement, which reportedly came as a huge shock to Ripa, the longtime host took sudden leave from work that left the show scrambling to find co-hosts. 

Erin Andrews and Shay Mitchell were among those who subbed for Ripa -- though many thought she would never return to the show after being blindsided by the news. 

Strahan has been with Live since 2012, when he was chosen to co-host following ABC's 10-month search for Regis Philbin's replacement. Philbin's own departure from Live! in 2011 was apparently a surprise to Ripa as well -- but not to ABC executives. 

"Apologies have been made, and the best thing to come out of this, guys, is that our parent company has assured me that Live! is a priority," Ripa said Tuesday, to large cheers from the audience. 

"Calm down, guys -- they said nothing about Christmas bonuses," she joked. 

Ripa's candid speech came peppered with her signature levity -- at one point, she joked with the audience, "Let's be honest I know half of you called in sick to work to be here, so we get each other."

Even so, it was an important moment of slate-cleaning ahead of ABC's annual Upfront presentation to advertisers, where co-host drama would no doubt cast a cloud above the network's daytime slate. 

"I am thrilled for Michael. This is a tremendous opportunity. I couldn't be -- and we couldn't be -- prouder of you and everything we've accomplished here," she said to her co-host. 

Strahan's last day on Live! will reportedly be May 13 -- a full month earlier than had been planned. The decision to move up his departure was made to allow producers more time to audition possible replacements, ABC said.

Before getting back to business, Ripa ended her speech with a small aside: "By the way, my dad, who was a bus driver for 30 years, thinks we're all crazy."

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