“Live” is turning into quite the family affair.
After six seasons chatting it up with co-host Kelly Ripa, multi-hyphenate Ryan Seacrest is leaving “Live with Kelly and Ryan.” But don’t worry, Ripa, who has co-hosted the daytime talk show since 2001, will soon be joined by someone she knows very well: her husband, actor Mark Consuelos.
Seacrest delivered the news of his departure on Thursday’s episode of “Live,” which is soon to be rebranded as “Live with Kelly and Mark” when “American Idol” begins its live shows in April. Seacrest plans to move back to the west coast and continue his duties hosting “Idol” and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”
“Working alongside Kelly over the past six years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career. She has been an amazing partner, friend, and confidant, and although we will always be a part of each other’s lives, I will miss our mornings together,” Seacrest said in a news release. “It’s been a memorable ride and now I’m excited to pass the baton to Kelly’s ‘real’ husband, Mark.”
“I’m so grateful to have spent the last six years beside my dear friend of too many decades to count and will miss starting my days with Ryan,” Ripa said in the release. “Ryan’s energy, passion and love for entertainment is one-of-a-kind.”
Ripa has had a long tenure on the program, sharing the stage with co-hosts that also included Regis Philbin and Michael Strahan.
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Story Credit: usatoday.com