Watch: Kelly Ripa Returns to Live!

After a week-long vacation Kelly Ripa returned to Live! With Kelly and Michael yesterday to a standing ovation from the studio audience.

Ripa took and extended leave of absence after reportedly being blindsided by news of cohost Michael Strahan leaving the show to take a full time position at its lead-in, Good Morning America. Strahan joined the show back in 2012 after myriad guest cohosts were seated next to Ripa to test chemistry after Regis Philbin's retirement.

During her return monologue yesterday Ripa joked that there were trained snipers standing by with tranquilizers in case she veered "too far off message," and then told the audience that she was guaranteed that Live! was a "priority" by parent company Disney.

After the televised reconciliation PEOPLE reported that Strahan's exit will take place months sooner than originally planned. The ex-NFL player's last day will be May 13, afterwards he will begin his transition to GMA, where he begins his full-time gig in September, while the search for Ripa's next cohost begins.