This week marks a fairly noteworthy shake-up in the world of morning talk shows, as Ryan Seacrest previously bid an official farewell to his Live stomping grounds opposite Kelly Ripa. Rather than falling into the usual hiatus that comes with major changes like that, she’s jumping right back in the hot seat without missing a beat, with hubby Mark Consuelos having previously been confirmed to take over as the newest co-host. And while she’s no doubt excited to spend more TV time with her significant other, who’d already taken on guest-host duties a time or two, Ripa doesn’t shy away from confirming she’s always in the retirement mindset these days.
With 22 years of morning chat experience under her belt, Kelly Ripa hasn’t quite been on the job long enough to eclipse her former co-host Regis Philbin, but it wouldn’t take too many more years. Assuming she’s interested in sticking around long enough, that is. When talking to EW about Live’s new era, Ripa said that having new blood on the set does give her a boost, but not one big enough to jettison retirement hypotheticals out of her head. In her words:
It's so funny. Every time you get a new cohost, it's like a little jolt of energy. But to be clear, I am always thinking about retiring. [Laughs.] It is my favorite topic of discussion.
The great thing about Kelly Ripa is that you know she’s joking there, but that it’s absolutely sitting on a foundation of truth. Anyone in any gig for over two decades is naturally going to put more and more thought into an eventual retirement, even if it’s still feasibly years away. Plus, it might look kinda shady if she decided to permanently call it quits just a week or two after Mark Consuelos takes over full-time.
Speaking to the longevity of things, Kelly Ripa entertained the idea of retiring in the interim period between Michael Strahan’s exit and Ryan Seacrest’s addition, while saying that the new energy that the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve host brought to the ABC staple kept her interested at the time. And while she didn’t flat-out say she’d have for sure left had Consuelos not entered the replacement talks so quickly, it sounds like he was the core reason why she decided to stick with the Live gig for a bit longer. Here’s how she put it:
When it became clear that it would not be Ryan staying and me leaving — I always envisioned me leaving and somebody new coming in to work with Ryan when he started on the show — it at first made no sense but then it made perfect sense that Mark would take over, because it's as seamless as a transition can possibly get for a television show. A daily morning live talk show is nothing without its consistency and continuity. And Mark provides that, not just for our audience, but for me, for our producers. And so if anybody could make me stay, it is definitely Mark.
Ryan Seacrest exited the show in order to give himself a break from exhausting years of going coast to coast on a weekly basis between Live and American Idol (as well as his radio show). Even if Ripa didn’t adhere to the same kind of hectic schedule, seeing how that affected him on a weekly basis likely had some kind of impact on her, even if it was just solidifying the notion that hosting multiple hit TV shows on different sides of the country is hard.
One thing that Kelly Ripa is looking forward to post-retirement, whenever that may come, is the idea that she’ll actually be able to watch Live again, which isn’t something she’s been able to do for quite a while now. But whether or not Mark Consuelos will be the connective tissue for the next permanent host remains to be seen. But Ripa definitely believes there are more than enough talented entertainers out there who would be perfect in her role, saying:
But make no mistake, I do see a vision of the show without me. I am not one of these people that is like, ‘The show can't go on without me.’ I am a fan of Live since before I got there. The bad part about hosting the show for these almost 23 years is that I don't get to watch the show anymore, and that is sad for me. It is a franchise show; I don't believe the show begins and ends with any one host — I think it's collaborative. And I think the next few years provide endless opportunities to test new people out and see what the next iteration of the show will be beyond Mark and me. So it's a real thought process I always have.
For now, though, Ripa will be trading in her little brother/oldest child in Ryan Seacrest for her amorous hubby Mark Consuelos, and the pair will hopefully keep the Live fanbase tuning in every weekday morning in syndication, so check your local listings to see when and where it airs in your area. And then head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what else is popping up soon.
