Kelly Ripa is one of the most well-known talk show hosts and while she’s been in the game for quite a while now, that doesn’t mean she has the easiest time in the world keeping audiences entertained each weekday morning. Now, Ripa has opened up about why she still isn’t quite comfortable hosting her long-running talk show, and it’s as relatable a reason as can be.
For two decades now, the All My Children actress has been hosting Live!, and while she’s had three different co-hosts along the way - Regis Philbin, Michael Strahan and Ryan Seacrest - she has stayed put. Despite being a TV entertainer in one way or another since 1986, though, Kelly Ripa admits to People that being in front of the camera is not something she particularly enjoys, and it's not a feeling that only recently came to light, either. In her words:
I've been saying that it's time to 'fold 'em' for 20 years. For 20 years I've been saying, 'I can't do it anymore. I can't do it. I'm too old for this crap. I need to find another career. I need to get off camera.' I've been saying that forever. Being in front of the camera is not something I've ever enjoyed. I'm not very comfortable. I always say I could do my job for 200 years if it didn't happen on camera.
With Kelly Ripa being in the spotlight for so long with her hosting and acting gigs, not to mention her famous husband, one might think she would have gotten used to it by now. But spending one's mornings in front of both live audiences and millions of TV viewers isn't an ideal situation for everyone. While becoming the center of attention is no doubt a goal of many entertainers, Ripa confessed how she really feels about all of the attention, saying:
I don't like the attention, I don't go to parties, I don't go to Hollywood events. I don't do any of that stuff. I would rather buy clothes than have to ask to borrow anything. It's painful. . . . I don't love being on camera. It's never been something that fed me in any sort of egotistical way. I find my own voice grating, so I apologize to your listeners if they're like, 'This is nails on a chalkboard.' I feel you.
Since Kelly Ripa has been hosting for so long, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if she would choose to exit Live! With Kelly and Ryan at some point in the near-ish future. But since she does get along with her current co-host Ryan Seacrest seemingly a lot better than former co-host Michael Strahan, it’s possible she'll stay on in the hosting role until a major catalyst causes her to leave. It is interesting that Ripa still isn’t comfortable in front of the camera, and perhaps it will inspire others to realize that not everyone on TV is solely motivated by the limelight. The fact that she’s stuck to the business for so long shows how passionate she still is, despite some of the feelings she has about her job.
Morning TV wouldn’t be the same without Kelly Ripa, so here’s hoping she still stays with it for a little longer and she grows more comfortable in the process! While waiting to see who her next Live! guests will be, check out all the 2021 Summer TV shows that are on the way!
