The only constant thing is change. Everything must come to an end, and the entertainment industry is no exception to this rule. Broadway shows must close. Long standing beloved television series have their final seasons with tearful finale episodes. Talk shows such as Live! with Kelly and Ryan see a shift in co-hosts.
On February 16, 2023, Ryan Seacrest announced he will be leaving the popular ABC talk show Live! with Kelly and Ryan after six years as co-host. Kelly Ripa’s husband Mark Consuelos will become the new co-host and the show will be rebranded as Live! with Kelly and Mark. Before we get into an official change over date let’s take a look back at Live!’s history, hear Ryan’s official goodbye, and check out Kelly’s reaction.
Live!’s history
The first iteration of Live! began in 1983 with Regis Philbin and Cyndy Garvey. It was a local NY show called The Morning Show. Kathie Lee Johnson (later Gifford) joined Philbin and the two were so popular the show got national syndication and became Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee. Gifford left the show in 2000. While searching for her replacement, the show became Live! with Regis. Ripa came on board in 2001 which made the show Live! with Regis and Kelly.
In 2011 Philbin decided it was time to retire so the show became Live! with Kelly, while the search went on to find his replacement. Michael Strahan took over for Philbin which made the show Live! with Kelly and Michael in 2012. Strahan moved to Good Morning America in 2016. This move ruffled Ripa’s feathers a bit because she was not let in on the situation, and she felt disrespected. The show reverted back to Live! with Kelly until Seacrest became the official co-host in 2017.
Live! has been around since the 80s and seen hosts come and go. Fans will miss Seacrest, but the show will go on.
Ryan’s goodbye
Seacrest’s departure is far less dramatic than Strahan’s. He is a busy dude, and it seems he wanted to scale back his projects to have a better work life balance. He lives on the West Coast, and Live! shots in New York City. It’s a hell of a commute.
“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 stated. “I also want to thank [executive producer] Michael Gelman and the entire staff and crew—we’ve made memories to last a lifetime, met some of the most incredible people, and had the warmest welcome into the homes of so many viewers across America. It’s been a memorable ride and now I’m excited to pass the baton to Kelly’s ‘real’ husband, Mark.”
Kelly reacts
Ripa seems to understand. It appears as though Seacrest was a better communicator than Strahan. “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 stated. “Ryan’s energy, passion and love for entertainment is one of a kind.”
Michael Gelman, Live!’s longtime executive producer also weighed on the situation.“Goodbyes are never easy, but we look forward to welcoming Ryan back regularly with open arms. As a fan-favorite guest host for years, Mark is no stranger to the Live family. Having him join the show is so special for us and we’re sure that viewers will feel the same,” he stated.
When the change will occur
Seacrest will continue on the show until spring when he will return to Los Angeles to host American Idol. Seacrest will also continue his duties of hosting Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest for ABC.
Live! audiences know Consuelos well so this should be a smooth transition. He has already appeared on the show 136 times. He most recently filled in for Seacrest while he was on vacation including hosting the Valentine’s Day episode.
Ripa and Consuelos met on the set of the soap opera All My Children in 1995. They were married the next year and share three children. On Instagram, Ripa welcomed Consuelos to the show with a joke that this was “the contractual obligation phase of [their] relationship.”