Michael Strahan talks Kelly Ripa's reaction to his Live exit

Having settled into his new role on ABC’s Good Morning America, Michael Strahan has opened up about old drama with his former Live! co-host, Kelly Ripa.

During an interview with PEOPLE, posted online Wednesday morning, the former NFL player discussed his decision to exit the long-running morning show, an act which made headlines in April as Ripa reportedly felt “blindsided” by news of her colleague’s impending departure.

Drama swirled around Strahan’s promotion from Live! to Good Morning America as Ripa opted not to go on air the day following the announcement of Strahan’s upcoming transition. When she returned to the program the following week, she opened the show by explaining how the incident opened up a dialogue about respect in the workplace.

“I wasn’t surprised by her reaction at all, but I can’t control somebody else’s actions,” Strahan said, referencing his relationship with Ripa. “I was there four years, and it’s about more than just being in front of the camera.”

Still, before he was privvy to how Ripa would handle the news, Strahan said fear nearly held him back from making the jump altogether.

“When I first got the call [to host part-time] a few years ago, I was like, ‘I don’t know about that,'” he revealed. “But I realized, am I not doing it because I’m afraid to try or because I can’t do it? It was because I was afraid to try. So then when I finally said, ‘Okay, I’ll give it a shot,’ I found that I loved it. I found that I could do it.”

Good Morning America airs weekdays at 7 a.m. ET on ABC. Watch Strahan’s full interview with PEOPLE in the video below.