Beloved Former 'GMA' Anchor Delights With Return to the Studio Amid Michael Strahan's Absence

As Good Morning America audiences continue to miss anchor Michael Strahan (who's currently on vacation), one former fan-favorite correspondent made a surprise appearance.

On July 24, actor Cameron Mathison joined Lara Spencer and Whit Johnson for an interview to promote his new game show, Beat the Bridge , and his old co-host couldn't help but praise the 54-year-old star for his previous work on GMA.

"We loved when you were here on GMA , you did a lot of really awesome work for us, I loved working with you," said Spencer.

Related: Michael Strahan Absence from 'GMA' Continues Into Second Week

Soap opera veteran Mathison, who left the GMA team in 2015, shared that some of his fondest memories from his time on the show involved his two children, son Lucas , 21, and daughter Leila , 18.

"I flash back, and I think it was around the summer of 2008, and I was doing a lot of segments with my kids," he said. "There was a water park segment, and then we did this beautiful staycation segment."

When the segment flashed on the screen, Mathison marveled at how young his kids looked: "They're so little, I can't stand it!"

Mathison also spoke enthusiastically about his new role as host of Beat the Bridge , which dares players to cross an interactive bridge by answering trivia questions.

"It's a blast," he said. "Super high energy...it's a lot of fun for me, too, because it's not like one team pitted against another, it's me, as a cheerleader, encouraging these guys."

He then joked about the bond he formed with contestants while filming, explaining, "I'm all in, at the end of it I'm like 'We gotta go for drinks, let's hang out.'"

Next: Michael Strahan's Lengthy Absence from 'GMA' Explained