After six seasons, Ryan Seacrest is leaving “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” and Kelly Ripa’s husband, Mark Consuelos, is set to replace him on the morning talk show.
Calling his departure bittersweet, Seacrest told the audience “you won’t be getting rid of me,” as he’ll be back to guest host and fill in when needed.
“I love the fact that we get to sit here every day and connect with you at home in your kitchens, in your living rooms, at work,” he said on the show on Feb. 16. “There’s nothing like this on television. I’m getting emotional. I promised Kelly I would not cry.”
Ripa told Seacrest she is proud of him and revealed that Seacrest was only supposed to be on the show for three years.
“You are a gem. You are one of my best friends,” Ripa said to Seacrest after the announcement. “The greatest part of this entire experience has been that you have gone from being a friend to a family member. You are family to us.”
You can watch the full announcement below:
Consuelos will join his wife, who has been on the show since 2001, in April. Ripa called the soon-to-be-titled “Live with Kelly and Mark” the “nation’s weirdest social experiment,” saying Consuelos can’t wait to join the show because he has a “lot of grievances” and feels like the show is a “safe space.”
“He said he’s got a list of things to address,” Seacrest added, laughing. “This is still a few months out, but he’s making his list and running it by me.”
While he will no longer be on television screens every weekday morning, Seacrest won’t be far away. In the spring, he’ll once again be hosting “American Idol,” which is now in its 21st season.
You can also expect to see him host “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest” once again on Dec. 31, 2023.
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