On Thursday, Ryan Seacrest announced that this season will be his last as co-host of Live With Kelly and Ryan and will be replaced by Mark Consuelos, the husband of Kelly Ripa. Seacrest has been with the show since 2017 and helped bring the show to new heights with his constant banter with Kelly.
During the episode, Seacrest revealed that leaving the show is something he has been talking to Kelly about for quite some time – adding he made the decision last year to make this his final season. He described it as a ‘tough, tough decision’ and said it’s ‘bittersweet,’ but he has other goals to attend to.
In response, Kelly had some extremely kind words to share with her co-host of six years – as you would expect from her. “You are a gem. You are one of my best friends, and like I said, the greatest part of this entire experience has been you’ve gone from being a friend to a family member,” she said on Thursday.
Don’t worry, Ryan Seacrest isn’t retiring from everything. He announced that he’ll still be the host of American Idol for its 21st season – which is set to premiere on February 19, 2023 – and will continue to host his radio show (On Air With Ryan Seacrest) and the annual ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve.’
“I’m going to miss my work wife and all the laughter we share,” he said on Instagram. “When I signed on to host ‘Live’ in 2017, it was meant to be for three years, but I loved the job and working with Kelly so much that I extended my time, and last year I made the decision to stay on for one more final season.”
He said he enjoyed sharing a cup of coffee with the millions of viewers that tune in every morning but looks forward to everything he has planned for the future – including the opening of ‘three more Ryan Seacrest Foundation Studios in pediatric hospitals across the country.’ But that’s not all he has planned!
He also shared that he definitely plans on returning as a guest host in the future – something executive producer Michael Gelman would welcome with open arms. He concluded his post with a shoutout and big congratulations to ‘my brother Mark’ and gave him the green light to ‘remodel my dressing room.’
Mark Consuelos Will Replace Ryan Seacrest Next Season
When one door closes, another one must open – enter Mark Consuelos. The former All My Children (1995-2001) and Riverdale (2017-2021) actor will be replacing Ryan Seacrest as the co-host alongside his wife Kelly Ripa – it’ll then be called Live With Kelly and Mark and will ‘mark’ a new era for the show.
The two already have incredible chemistry with one another, having met in 1995 as co-stars in All My Children. They didn’t waste any time falling in love and eloped in 1996, nearly a year after meeting. They’ve been happily married ever since and will be celebrating their 27th anniversary on May 1st.
They share three children together – a son named Michael Joseph (born on June 2, 1997), a daughter named Lola Grace (born on June 16, 2001), and a son named Joaquin Antonio (born on February 24, 2003). It’ll be interesting to see how Mark does as a regular co-host – having guest-hosted several times.
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Fans will get a sneak peek at what the future has in store for the show, as Mark is scheduled to appear as a guest host on Friday. The co-host change will be Kelly’s third since joining the show in 2001 – she originally co-hosted it with Regis Philbin before Michael Strahan took over, followed by Ryan Seacrest.
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