After six seasons, Ryan Seacrest has announced that he’s leaving Live with Kelly and Ryan. The television mogul had only planned to host the show for three seasons, but ended up sticking around because he was having too much fun with co-host Kelly Ripa. That said, the crazy winters having him missing the west coast, and he’s looking forward to getting back to warmer climates even though leaving the show is bittersweet.
The duo also announced Seacrest’s replacement, and it’s someone who certainly has chemistry with Ripa: Her husband Mark Consuelos. The couple will host the newly rebranded Live with Kelly and Mark when Seacrest leaves in April.
“You are a gem. You are one of my best friends,” Ripa said, adding, “The greatest part of this experience has been that you’ve gone from being a friend to a family member. You are family. We love you. We are so proud of you. I know how much of a sacrifice it’s been. I know how exhausting it’s been going back and forth [from New York to L.A.].”
The two hosts, who hugged at the end of their announcement, both seemed emotional, with Seacrest saying he promised Ripa he wouldn’t cry and joking before they went to commercial that they were taking a break so he could cry.
As for working with her husband, Ripa joked it would be “the nation’s weirdest social experiment” before assuring audiences that Consuelos is “the only person who I think is capable of holding [Seacrest’s] torch the way [he] held it.”
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)