Kelly Ripa’s Reside co-host is altering — once more.
Ryan Seacrest introduced on Thursday that he’ll be leaving the nationally syndicated discuss present after this season. His everlasting substitute is a well-known face to viewers: Mark Consuelos, Ripa’s husband of 26 years and a frequent present sub.
Seacrest, who’s primarily based in Los Angeles, known as it a “robust” resolution to depart the present he joined in 2017. He mentioned working alongside Ripa,” whom he known as “an incredible associate, good friend and confidant,” has been “a dream job and one of many highlights of my profession.” Nonetheless, he is “excited to go the baton to Kelly’s actual husband, Mark.”
Ripa and Consuelos confirmed numerous love for Seacrest, who they mentioned has develop into “household” throughout his run. They’ve all vacationed collectively in spite of everything. In the meantime, Ripa joked about getting into the “contractual obligation section of” her relationship with Consuelos because the present’s new co-hosts.
Seacrest is anticipated to depart this spring as Season 35 winds down and Consuelos will fill the seat as Season 36 kicks off, sometimes in September. This looks like will probably be a simple transition, particularly to some others in present historical past. Let’s look again on the evolution of Reside co-hosts — the allies and the adversaries — since its inception in 1983.
Regis Philbin & Kathie Lee Gifford (Reside with Regis and Kathie Lee)
Reside truly started as The Morning Present in 1983. It was native, in New York, and Philbin co-hosted with Cyndy Garvey, whom he beforehand labored with on A.M. Los Angeles. She departed in 1984, and Ann Abernathy was her substitute. The long run Kathie Lee Gifford, who then glided by Kathie Lee Johnson, turned the substitute for the substitute in 1985 — and the present took off in its market. It made its nationwide syndication debut on September 5, 1988 — with the famous title change to Reside with Regis and Kathie Lee.
The co-hosts had a pleasant relationship — she famously known as him “Reege” — and a husband and spouse sort of banter. He mentioned in 1988, that every little thing on TV on the time appeared “written or over-rehearsed” and there was no one chatting about “the smaller issues in life that everyone goes via, like visits out of your mother-in-law or the children bringing house stray cats.”
The pair labored collectively till Gifford departed the present in 2000 — and so they had an enduring friendship after. Gifford advised AARP the Journal in 2019, “I knew it was the start of one thing large as a result of I met my doppelgänger once I met Regis. I met my inventive equal.” They weathered so much collectively too as a result of Gifford turned a tabloid goal and noticed plenty of gossip about her and her marriage to Frank Gifford, who she mentioned “I do” to in 1986, smeared round.
When Gifford left the As we speak present in 2019, Philbin was a shock visitor and advised her on-air, “Kathie Lee … the most effective a part of my life, my TV life, was within the 15 years I spent with you from 1985 to 2000. We stayed pals via the whole recreation, and it was plenty of enjoyable.”
Gifford noticed Philbin simply previous to his loss of life and advised As we speak in 2020, “In all of the years collectively we by no means had one cross phrase. We had the identical humorousness, and we simply took off like a rocket … we simply wished to sit down there and have enjoyable collectively.”
Regis Philbin & Kelly Ripa (Reside with Regis and Kelly)
After Gifford’s departure, Philbin hosted solo as a seek for a substitute was underway. He gained his first daytime Emmy for his work as a solo host. (The identical yr, he additionally gained for Excellent Sport Present Host for Who Desires to Be a Millionaire.) But it surely was time to select a associate and a plucky one who stole the highlight was cleaning soap opera star Ripa, who had an enormous fandom on All My Kids for her love story along with her real-life husband, Consuelos. Throughout one in all her on-air auditions in 2000, a psychic rightly predicted Ripa was pregnant dwell on air — she admitted she secretly was — and she or he appeared like a lock after that.
Ripa, who was formally employed in 2001, breathed new life into the present — introducing a youthful viewers to daytime TV — and appeared to go alongside enjoying Philbin’s foil. He’d be exasperated by his younger co-star tales, at occasions, and would even make faces, nevertheless it appeared playful sufficient.
Ripa mentioned on the time that Philbin’s type was to maintain all their exchanges on the air to maintain their dialog contemporary. Nonetheless, she later obtained candid, together with in her 2022 e book Reside Wire, that she did not really feel like he wished right here there as a co-host. She claimed he referred to her as “it” to her face, and complained to higher-ups that he did not need her bringing an entourage to the set (of 1 hair and one make-up particular person, which is not actually an entourage). There was additionally a to-do over her title having to be in a smaller font within the present emblem and supplies. Nonetheless, they had been well-liked for viewers and gained Emmys collectively — for Excellent Discuss Present Host — in 2011 and 2012.
Ripa advised Yahoo in September it was “an incredible privilege” to have labored alongside the TV icon, however admitted “it was not a simple working relationship” as a result of he felt she was “compelled upon” him as a co-host.
Philbin left Reside in November 2011, after marking 10 years as co-hosts. When he made his retirement announcement on-air, he famously did so with out giving Ripa a head’s up. Her response was the true deal.
Within the years after, they did not have the enduring friendship that he had with Gifford. Whereas he returned to the present, a story, in Ripa’s phrases, that she “deserted our friendship” developed within the media. It was propelled by Philbin himself in interviews — like when he mentioned in 2015, “I do not see her” anymore when Ripa claimed she truly noticed him in the future earlier and so they spoke. In 2017, he mentioned Ripa obtained very offended once I left.” She mentioned she did not appropriate the report on the time, doing so later in her e book.
“I simply discover it baffling,” she advised Yahoo. “I imply all of us work with numerous individuals and a few individuals we’ve friendships with exterior of the workplace and a few individuals we do not and that is OK. However to pin the duty of that on one particular person?”
When Ripa’s e book got here out, Gifford defended Philbin, who had died two years earlier, and mentioned she’d by no means learn it.
Kelly Ripa & Michael Strahan (Reside with Kelly and Michael)
After Philbin’s exit, Ripa additionally had a interval the place she hosted the present herself whereas doing one other huge seek for a substitute. Strahan, who retired from the New York Giants in 2007 and transitioned into broadcasting, landed the gig in September 2012.
The pair had chemistry, they obtained good scores — and, sure, extra Emmys. They gained for Excellent Leisure Discuss Present Host in 2015 and 2016.
In late April 2016, issues went sideways when Strahan introduced on-air — on a day that Ripa was off — that he could be leaving the present to host Good Morning America on the identical community. Ripa was reportedly “blindsided” by the information and abruptly took a couple of additional days off work to course of it. She returned, addressing Strahan’s departure candidly, explaining the need of “communication, consideration and, most significantly, respect within the office.” His exit, which was to be months down the road, was moved as much as Might 13.
In 2020, Strahan opened up about his “mishandled” departure. He made it clear Reside wasn’t his dream job, saying he did not know he was employed to be “a sidekick.” Nonetheless, “I did not get up and say, ‘I need a job at GMA. I used to be requested to do it by the individuals who run the community. It was actually not a alternative. It was a request.” He mentioned it “was handled as if I … walked in and mentioned, ‘I am leaving.’ That half was completely misconstrued, mishandled in each method. Individuals who ought to have dealt with it higher have all apologized, however plenty of the injury had already been executed. For me, it was like: Transfer on. Success is the most effective factor. Simply carry on shifting.” As for Ripa, he mentioned he wasn’t holding a grudge, “Folks assume, ‘Oh, he hates her’ — I do not hate her. I do respect her for what she will do at her job. I can not say sufficient about how good she is at her job.”
That very same yr, Ripa mentioned, “I did not kick up a fuss; it wasn’t a giant factor; I used to be similar to, I am not doing this. If I am undeserving of a dialogue, if I am undeserving of you working this dialog by me — it was outrageous.”
Ripa didn’t point out Strahan in her e book, which spoke volumes.
Kelly Ripa & Ryan Seacrest (Reside with Kelly and Ryan)
Ripa once more did the job solo till her substitute was introduced, as Seacrest, in Might 2017.
Whereas Seacrest has had no scarcity of jobs — and normally many without delay — he initially reached out to Ripa, a good friend, about working collectively when Philbin introduced his retirement. It clearly did not work then — with Strahan grabbing the gig — however they obtained a second likelihood a couple of years later.
Seacrest is clearly no novice and slipped proper into the function. Their on-screen relationship has all the time been pleasant and respectful. It carried over off-camera with the pair vacationing along with their companions and doing issues when the cameras weren’t rolling, particularly as a result of Seacrest relocated to New York for the job.
“We have identified one another for over 20 years and had been trying to work collectively for all of these 20 years,” Ripa advised Yahoo. “We’re very related in the best way we do issues. We’re household individuals. We’re shut with our dad and mom. We grew up not in present enterprise households… When the chance arose and Ryan was accessible, it appeared like a no brainer.”
In 2020, Seacrest had a well being scare that resulted in him deciding to “decelerate” amid all his jobs, additionally together with internet hosting American Idol. And whereas he took it down a notch after — nonetheless internet hosting and producing different initiatives — he introduced on Feb. 16, 2023 that he determined final yr that this present could be his final.
After asserting his spring departure on air Thursday, he posted a candy tribute to Ripa, saying he was going to “miss my work spouse and all of the laughter we share.”
“After I signed on to host Reside in 2017 it was meant to be for 3 years, however I liked the job and dealing with Kelly a lot that I prolonged my time and final yr I made the choice to remain on for yet one more remaining season,” he mentioned. “I have been grateful to have the ability to share a cup of espresso with our viewers on a regular basis, probably the greatest components of the gig.” He added that he seemed ahead to coming again to visitor host and gave “my brother Mark” the OK “to rework my dressing room.”
Ripa mentioned she was “so grateful to have spent the final six years beside my expensive good friend of too many many years to rely and can miss beginning my days with Ryan. Ryan’s power, ardour and love for leisure is one in all a sort.”
The pair gained the Emmy for Excellent Leisure Discuss Present Host in 2019. Their present has been the top-rated daytime discuss present within the girls ages 25 to 54 class for greater than a yr.
Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos (Reside with Kelly and Mark)
Consuelos’s hubby, and former cleaning soap co-star has lengthy occupied the co-host seat. He is stuffed in not simply throughout the pandemic, however over time when Ripa’s co-host was out and he wasn’t away capturing Riverdale or his appearing initiatives.
The pair has tried-and-true chemistry, which we have seen, and no scarcity of humorous tales to inform about household.
Whereas their three youngsters are all grown up — they’re on-off empty nesters — they nonetheless have hilarious tales of their interactions and awkward moments. Count on some thirsty moments between the couple as effectively.
After we spoke to Ripa final yr, she mentioned whereas it was “the privilege of my life to host Reside,” she had been giving thought to retiring from the morning present, which she additionally wrote about in her e book. She mentioned it might be good to assist somebody new into the job, “as a result of it’s particular,” after which help that particular person as they “navigate the pitfalls of the highlight,” which she might have used extra assist with when she began.
Nonetheless, that is off the desk now that she will share the job along with her husband, who she advised us “needed to make plenty of sacrifices” as she hosted Reside for the final 22 years and he took appearing initiatives elsewhere, together with residing in different nations at occasions.
Consuelos is anticipated to completely take the seat in September when the brand new season begins.
