‘Good Morning America’ Producer Daisha Riley Dead at 35

The Good Morning America team is paying tribute to one of their own. On Tuesday, it was reported that Daisha Riley, a producer for the morning program, had died at the age of 35. A cause of death has not been publicly revealed. In honor of Riley, anchor Michael Strahan shared some kind words about the producer in a moving segment that aired on Tuesday’s show.

Strahan explained to viewers that Riley died “suddenly and unexpectedly,” per The Wrap. He said that the producer had worked on the show for 14 years, rising through the ranks as she did so. The anchor noted that Riley always went above and beyond, sharing that she even made sure to have a replica throne on the set of the morning show when the cast of Game of Thrones came to visit. Strahan said, “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.” He went on to call her a “pillar of GMA” as he continued to remember her fondly.

“Daisha loved nothing more than telling America a story,” Strahan said. “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.” He added, “She was beloved by all of us here. Her smile lit up a room. It’s hard for us and difficult to even wrap our heads around this, but we can’t express how much we are going to miss her. We are thinking about her family and her fiancé, Tyrone, this morning.”

Strahan wasn’t the only anchor to pay tribute to Riley. On Twitter, Roberts issued a message in honor of the late producer, whom she called “talented, creative, kind, a beautiful soul in every way.” She added, “Condolences to her beloved family. Our @GMA family loved her and will be forever grateful to have experienced Daisha’s grace & grit.”