Michael Strahan is allegedly leaving 'Live!' much earlier than previously announced

Hours after Kelly Ripa returned to the show, a new report indicates that Michael Strahan may be leaving "Live! With Kelly and Michael" much sooner than previously reported by ABC.

A source close to the show told PEOPLE on Tuesday that "May 13 is his last show."

SEE ALSO: Kelly Ripa returns to 'Live!': 'Our long national nightmare is over'

"He'll take the summer off and GMA can integrate him early before September," the PEOPLE source continued. "This will give Live! more time to find the co-host. He's totally fine. Now he can enjoy his summer."

Previous reports had claimed that Strahan was scheduled to transition over to "Good Morning America" from "Live!" in September. The news of his departure from the show, which he's co-hosted with Ripa for four years, broke a week ago and came as a surprise to many -- including Ripa herself.

See photos of Kelly Ripa through the years:

After skipping Wednesday and Thursday's shows, as well as taking her scheduled Friday and Monday off, Ripa returned to the show Tuesday and directly addressed the controversy. Sources had said that Ripa was "livid" over the Strahan announcement and had been totally "blindsided" by the news but, though Tuesday's show was slightly awkward, she was completely cool on air following the whole ordeal.

"Guys, guys, guys! Our long national nightmare is over!" she said on Tuesday to the live studio audience. "I am fairly certain that there are trained professional snipers with trained tranquilizer darts in case I go too far off message."

"The love, the show of support to this bizarre time has been really overwhelming," she continued. "I really needed a couple of days to gather my thoughts after 26 years at this company, I earned the right. In that time, I gained some perspective. I always speak from the heart and I didn't want to come out here and just say something I might regret. So, what transpired over the course of these days has been extraordinary. It started a much bigger conversation about communication and consideration and, most importantly, respect in the workplace."

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She clarified that not only is "Live!" a workplace for her, but it's also her "second home," one that she's been a part of since 2000. Additionally, she talked directly to her soon-to-be former co-host, Strahan, telling him that she is "thrilled" for him, calling his upcoming gig at "GMA" a "tremendous opportunity."

Watch below for more on her return:

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