Ryan Seacrest’s final days on Live with Kelly and Ryan are upon us, with the co-host set to appear for the final time next to Kelly Ripa on Thursday, April 13. The longtime morning show already had an excellent replacement lined up when they announced Seacrest’s exit after six years — her husband Mark Consuelos — who has filled in for the American Idol host several times on the show. Ahead of the swap, Ripa shared her thoughts on what it’s going to be like to have Consuelos transition to that role full time.
Mark Consuelos will officially take over the chair next to his wife on Monday, April 17, when the name of the syndicated talk show will be rebranded as Live with Kelly and Mark. Kelly Ripa spoke to what else will change when Ryan Seacrest makes his exit, telling People she doesn’t foresee a whole lot of drama. The longtime host said:
Nothing will really change, just the different name on the mug. … Ryan is like my — I always say is like my brother, but he’s also like my oldest child. So you know, it’s gonna be seamless.
Kelly Ripa, who’s co-anchored Live since 2001, doesn’t seem too concerned about the upcoming change. She’s been through this kind of change before, when Ryan Seacrest replaced Michael Strahan as her co-host in 2017, and when Strahan came in following Regis Philbin’s exit in 2011. You’d have to hope the switch from Seacrest — who she amusingly described as both her brother and her oldest child — to her husband was free of any drama.
It can be assumed that Ryan Seacrest is making the transition as easy as possible as well for Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. Ripa said Seacrest and her husband are “like brothers,” and the two men have also expressed those sentiments to each other. Consuelos even caused Seacrest to tear up during a sentimental segment on the show following the announcement, when he said he couldn’t think of a better person to have sat next to his wife for the past six years.
Hopefully the exit will be seamless for Ryan Seacrest as well. The host has apparently been leaning on his girlfriend Aubrey Paige for support, making sure to take time for himself in hopes of avoiding burnout. Reports have been circulating about possible reasons for his exit from Live, with exhaustion and his bi-coastal filming schedule the most likely causes. Fatigue has forced the co-host to miss an increasing number of episodes over the past year, reportedly creating some tension on the set.
While Ryan Seacrest is leaving Live with Kelly and Ryan, he will continue myriad projects on the West Coast, including American Idol, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and his popular daily syndication radio show, on top of running a production company. With so much to keep him busy, so will he even have time to tune in to Live with Kelly and Mark?
Fans should check their local listings to see how to catch Ryan Seacrest’s last appearance on Live on Thursday, April 13, and don’t miss Mark Consuelos’ debut on Monday, April 17! You can see what other premieres are headed your way as well, by checking out our 2023 TV schedule.
