“Good Morning America” maker Daisha Riley, recalled by partners for her “grit and grace,” passed on at 35 years old “suddenly and unexpectedly,” have Michael Strahan told watchers on Tuesday.
In a tribute section, Strahan said the Emmy Award-winning maker was “funny and brilliant and, above all, kind.” While watchers probably won’t have known her name, Strahan said they would have seen her “incredible work” in the course of recent years, with one such model being when Riley ensured that a copy seat was remembered for the set for a “GMA” meet with the cast of “Game of Thrones.”
“She rose through the ranks over the years on our show, working on stories that have made so many of you, our viewers, smile and tear up. Her legacy lives on in a powerful voice she shared through storytelling,” Strahan said.
“Daisha loved nothing more than telling America a story,” Strahan said, calling her a “pillar to ‘GMA.’” “As one colleague said, Daisha had grit and grace. She took pride in her work and she fought for it, because to Daisha, there was no greater privilege than helping you at home start your day. And trust us when we say, for all of us at ‘GMA,’ there was no greater privilege than knowing Daisha Riley.”
“She was beloved by all of us here. Her smile lit up a room,” Strahan said. “We can’t express how much we are going to miss her.”
On Twitter, “Good Morning America” have Robin Roberts likewise recalled Riley for being “talented, creative, kind, a beautiful soul in every way,” writing, “Our @GMA family loved her and will be forever grateful to have experienced Daisha’s grace & grit.”
A reason for death was not freely uncovered.
