The last episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan was filled with fun and somber moments as Ryan Seacrest bid farewell to his morning show family. The day was not only emotional for Seacrest but for his co-host of 6 years, Kelly Ripa. However, prior to the American Idol host celebrating his last day with laughter and tears, he and Ripa shared a special moment before the cameras started rolling. Now, the All My Children alum is opening up about the candid but inelegant message she gave her co-host before they headed onto the Live! stage one last time together.
The Live! host revealed the unexpected moment between the two co-hosts to ET as the show celebrated Seacrest’s last day. Ripa’s off-putting comment came as she and the TV host shared their final backstage message before walking out to their table one last time. The TV personality spilled her final words to Seacrest, saying:
I looked at him and I said, 'This really sucks' and so inelegant. It's not an articulate thing to say, but that fit in that moment. I was like, 'Oh, this is our last walkout.'
While her comment may have been off-color, Ripa was realizing that this was the last time she and Ryan Seacrest would be hosting Live! together. Though the show has been prepared for his departure for some time, that still doesn’t quell the emotions of losing a long-time co-worker. Despite her uneasy feelings over her co-host leaving, she admitted the transition between Seacrest and her husband Mark Consuelos has been seamless. Her words weren’t surprising given the talk between the three friends over dinner before the multihyphenate made his surprise announcement.
Despite this being Seacrest’s last day, there is still room for him as a fill-in host for his replacement Consuelos or Ripa from time to time. Kelly Ripa even threw her full support behind her close friend, saying:
We champion Ryan no matter what he does. We are like, team Ryan forever.
The backstage comment didn’t damper the TV personality’s final day on Live with Kelly and Ryan. Seacrest admitted he was in the dark about what the crew prepared for his final episode. He opened up about getting “very emotional” and having to lean on his co-host a few times. This wasn't surprising given how emotional Seacrest was leading up to his exit. He commented that the daytime talk show was like “no other place in our business” before expressing his gratitude for hosting the show “for six years.”
Following his final day on Live, Ryan Seacrest won’t be resting on his loreals for long. He’s currently in the midst of filming American Idol’s 21st season. He plans to continue hosting his syndicated radio show and his yearly gig, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve, for ABC too. He also plans on doing more charitable work with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation Studios at various pediatric hospitals.
After Seacrest’s departure, Mark Consuelos will officially join his wife Kelly Ripa in the co-hosting chairs on April 17 under the new title Live with Kelly and Mark. Check out our 2023 TV schedule to keep up with what’s happening in daytime talk.
