Ryan Seacrest has been a mainstay on Live with Kelly and Ryan for the past six years, so viewers were shocked on February 16, when the host announced that he would be stepping away. Taking his place is a face very familiar to host Kelly Ripa, as her husband Mark Consuelos will take over as co-host of the soon-to-be Live with Kelly and Mark. Before that happens, however, the trio was on air together for the February 17 broadcast to talk about the future, and things got pretty sentimental.
There’s no question of how Ryan Seacrest feels about passing the baton to Mark Consuelos. The two men expressed mutual admiration for each other and the lady who’s been a prominent figure in both of their lives. The American Idol host was then brought to tears when Consuelos thanked him for being “generous to my wife” and for giving him the opportunity. Watch the tearful moment from Live with Kelly and Ryan below:
They’ve got quite the love fest going on over at Live, and it sounds like this is a great situation for all involved. As for Ryan Seacrest’s next moves, he will apparently be based on the West Coast full-time now, continuing to host both American Idol and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest (even after this year's snubbing claims). The bi-coastal situation that Seacrest found himself in was reportedly the cause of some drama in the early days of Live with Kelly and Ryan.
That seems to be all in the past now, as the outgoing host spoke to Mark Consuelos like a family member, telling him how happy he was that he would be able to work alongside his wife of nearly 27 years. Ryan Seacrest also revealed that the three of them had spoken before he moved to New York about doing the show for just a few years. Seacrest said:
I do want to say, you are a brother to me. You’re a family member to me. I have become so close with both of you, and you [Mark] as well, and the three of us sat before I moved out here and had real conversations about doing this for a few years. Ended up being longer than I thought, and I couldn’t be happier to see you come in and be next to your wife, who we both know is the most amazing human being on the planet.
The Riverdale actor returned the sentiments without hesitation, calling Ryan Seacrest his brother, and as Mark Consuelos expressed his gratitude, Kelly Ripa gripped Seacrest's arm as he started to become emotional at Consuelos' words. The incoming host told Seacrest:
Ryan, I echo that, and I couldn’t think of a better person to sit next to my wife for the past six years. You’re a true friend, you’re a brother, you’re generous to my wife, to my whole family. I got to meet your family through it, which I love your parents and your niece and your sister and your brother-in-law. That chair that you’re sitting in, it’s an iconic seat. I take it with great, it’s a great honor for me to sit there. It’s an iconic show, and I think it’s going to be a blast.
Mark Consuelos has guest-hosted the show before, in Ryan Seacrest's absence, treating fans to a wild sex story at the time, so we'll have to see if this is the vibe he'll bring to Live full-time. The hosting change is set to happen sometime in the next season, though Seacrest's official exit date hasn't been announced. For now, viewers can still enjoy Live with Kelly and Ryan. The show airs live Monday through Friday on ABC, at 9 a.m. ET. Also, be sure to check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming soon.
