Kelly Ripa -- I'm Not Looking Forward to This (PHOTOS)

Kelly Ripa left her swanky Upper East Side townhouse as she ends her boycott of her show ... and her expression tells it all.

There's an air of dread looming over her 'Live' show as she prepares to sit next to co-host Michael Strahan. The 2 haven't gotten along for several years, and the last week has only made things worse.

As we reported, Michael reached out to Kelly by text ... hours after he told her he was leaving for 'GMA.' She didn't respond until Saturday, and only superficially.

BTW ... this time she's clutching "The Rainbow Comes and Goes" by Anderson Cooper ... pretty clearly telegraphing he's a front-runner to replace Michael.

Makes for good TV.