Ryan Seacrest announced Thursday he is leaving morning talk show Live With Kelly and Ryan, and will be replaced by co-host Kelly Ripa’s husband, Mark Consuelos, while Seacrest will remain at the helm of his radio shows, American Idol and other programs.
The announcement was made on the air during Thursday’s episode, and in a statement Seacrest said, ‘Working alongside Kelly over the past six years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career,’ per Forbes. ‘I’ve decided to make this my last season as co-host,’ Seacrest said, calling his decision, ‘bittersweet’. ‘You’ve gone from being a friend to a family member. You are family to us,’ Ripa said. “I’m so proud of you and I cheer you on endlessly.’
Seacrest had originally committed to three years on the show, which turned to six, he said, because of the fun he’s had hosting. Ryan Seacrest announced Thursday he is leaving morning talk show Live With Kelly and Ryan, and will be replaced by co-host Kelly Ripa’s husband, Mark Consuelos, while Seacrest will remain at the helm of his radio shows, American Idol and other programs. Seacrest and Ripa announced the news during their morning talk show, ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan‘ on Thursday.
‘I look up to you. I respect you so much,’ Seacrest said of Ripa. ‘I love the fact that we get to connect every day. There’s nothing like this on television. This show really comes today because of an incredible family of people.’ After being based in New York City, Seacrest will move back to the West Coast. Seacrest, 48, joined the show in 2017 on a three-year contract following the departure of Michael Strahan, and Ripa has hosted Live since 2001, when the late Regis Philbin was her co-host, per CNN. Seacrest joked that he’s ‘excited to pass the baton to Kelly’s ‘real’ husband, Mark,’ who has previously appeared on the program and filled in for Seacrest.
Consuelos has filled in on the show alongside Ripa countless times over the years. Seacrest will remain on the air until the spring, and he will continue hosting American Idol, another ABC program. Once Seacrest departs the show, it will be rebranded as Live With Kelly and Mark.
