Daytime talk show host Kelly Ripa released her memoir entitled, Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories, on September 27th. In the new book, she talks about everything including her career, her marriage to Mark Consuelos and their three children, Michael 25, Lola 21, and Joaquin, 19.
Kelly began co-hosting Live in 2001 with Regis Philbin. She replaced Kathy Lee Gifford who left Live With Regis and Kathie Lee after 12 years. After Regis left the show, Kelly has had two other co-hosts, Michael Strahan and Ryan Seacrest. She also hosted alone during the in-between periods.
Kelly is known for being very forthcoming about her life. She is now sharing the difficulties she had when she first joined the talk show, “I want people to understand that joining Live, from my perspective, was a terrifying venture. It was entering into a work environment that I did not understand.”
Her memoir talks about her life with Regis, as well as Ryan, but there is one co-host that she does not speak of.
8 How Did Kelly Ripa Get The Gig On 'Live'?
Kelly Ripa played Hayley Vaughn on the soap All My Children and was a popular daytime star. She also starred in the series, Hope & Faith.
After Kathie Lee Gifford departed the show, Regis Philbin did on-air tryouts with potential co-hosts.
Regis said of Kelly, "There was one guest we'd had on with us a few years before who had [a certain sparkle]. Hers was a natural, quick-witted, unaffected, confident, fun-loving kind of sparkle that both Gelman and I remembered very well. We decided to invite her back, this time to consider her as a possible co-host. So that was when this smiling, petite ball of fire named Kelly Ripa made her return to Live! for a test run at the rotating, up-for-grabs hot seat to my left. And my God, who knew what spontaneous combustion we'd make together?"
Other who were up for the job were Jane Krakowski, Valerie Bertinelli, and RHOBH star Lisa Rinna. Rinna has said that the final two were her and Kelly. Ripa ultimately got the job.
7 Live With Regis And Kelly
It appeared that Kelly Ripa filled the co-host role seamlessly. The banter between Ripa and Regis Philbin looked comfortable, and their conversations flowed naturally. They laughed together, and it looked like fun to be on that set with them.
But Kelly has said of that time, “It was a different time, back then. It was a tabloid, journalistic, free-for-all, and there were systems in place there for a long time at the talk show that were not necessarily there to protect me.”
She also said, “I think had I gone in there now, I would have been fully equipped to handle it, but back then, I was not equipped in any sense of the word. And therefore, I did not protect myself the way I probably should have.”
6 Did Kelly Ripa Get Along With Regis Philbin?
In her book, Kelly Ripa recounts an exchange with Regis Philbin in the early days of co-hosting. She came to the set with her hair and makeup people, and moments before she walked on stage, Regis said to producer Michael Gelman, "Uh-oh, Gelman, it's got an entourage."
"I felt horrible," Ripa shares. "He was probably trying to be funny, but at the same time it felt like a pile-on. I understand that probably he didn't want a co-host, but the network wanted me to be the co-host and I didn't think I should pass up that opportunity. I don't think it was fair to him. But it was also not fair to me."
Kelly also says that she very much enjoyed her time with Regis, "I loved him, and I still do."
5 Kelly Ripa's Search for A New Co-Host After Regis Philbin
In January 2011, Regis Philbin, who was 80, left the show. The show was renamed, Live! With Kelly, and Kelly Ripa was now head of the show.
Now, it was Kelly's turn to do on-air tryouts for someone to fill Philbin's seat. Some possible replacements were: Jerry O'Connell, Neil Patrick Harris, Chris Harrison, Jeff Probst and many others.
Kelly says about that time, “The reality is that I would have traded places with him in a second. I was scared to death, and suddenly responsible for keeping our very popular show on the air, all by myself,”
In the end, Michael Strahan was given the position.
4 What Happened Between Kelly Ripa And Michael Strahan?
There was one name that was not mentioned at all in Kelly Ripa's memoir. That name was Michael Strahan.
All was wonderful when Michael took the seat next to Kelly. The ex-football star had great banter with Ripa, and viewers really liked him. But so did ABC execs, and they wanted him for Good Morning America.
Michael spent some time doing both shows, but when he decided to go full time on GMA, it seemed Kelly was the last to know. This did not sit well with her at all.
Strahan has said about his experience on Live, "Wow, I didn’t know I was supposed to be a sidekick. I thought I was coming here to be a partner.”
Kelly took a little time off after the news. When she returned, she said, "What transpired, though, over the course of a few days has been extraordinary in the sense that it started a much greater conversation about communication and consideration and, most importantly, respect in the workplace."
The two did not end on good terms.
3 Live With Kelly And Ryan
After Michael Strahan's disastrous exit from the show, Kelly Ripa went back to the audition process.
As everyone knows, Ryan Seacrest wears many hats. He took on one more when he got the opportunity to sit in the chair next to Kelly Ripa. The two have a 20 plus year friendship, and it helps their on-air relationship. Kelly has said, "We involve each other in our deep workplace discussions, which was such a new thing for me."
They joke around with each other and viewers can see that they generally like one another. They enjoy being together. Ryan even told the audience that he missed his costar when she was away on vacation.
2 Kelly Ripa's Forever Co-Star
Kelly Ripa may have many co-hosts, but she only has one love. She has been married to husband Mark Consuelos for 26 years, and calls him the love of her life. The two met on the set of All My Children and eloped in Las Vegas. Mark is one of her favorite things to talk about on the show, and she doesn't hold a lot back.
In her memoir, she admits that their sex life is "the one part of our life that has always been very good. Even when we're arguing, it's good."
The happy couple raised their three children and are now enjoying life as empty nesters. Kelly told PEOPLE, "So I think for us, it was 'Oh, this next phase of our lives, this is kind of great.'"
1 Is Kelly Ripa Leaving 'Live'?
Rumors have been going around for years that Kelly Ripa is leaving Live With Kelly and Ryan.
Recently, she told Extra, “Oh, gosh!... I think about it all the time… I've been quiet quitting for at least 10 years, maybe 15. I do believe in shepherding in somebody new. I would like to — in the not-too-distant future — see that somebody gets to ingratiate themselves into our audiences' life.”
She then added, “It’s like a long-term discussion, when everybody thinks the time is right, and it would be a universal decision — then that’s the time.”
But for now, she is still taking her seat next to Ryan.
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