Ryan Seacrest will be leaving syndication powerhouse Live with Kelly and Ryan this spring after six seasons and will be replaced by Kelly Ripa’s husband, actor Mark Consuelos.
The upcoming changes were announced on Live Thursday morning.
Seacrest plans to return to the West Coast. He will continue to host American Idol and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. He said will also be an occasional guest host on Live.
“Working alongside Kelly over the past six years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career,“ Seacrest said. “She has been an amazing partner, friend, and confidant, and although we will always be a part of each other’s lives, I will miss our mornings together,” Seacrest said. “I also want to thank [executive producer] Michael Gelman and the entire staff and crew — we’ve made memories to last a lifetime, met some of the most incredible people and had the warmest welcome into the homes of so many viewers across America. It’s been a memorable ride and now I’m excited to pass the baton to Kelly’s ‘real’ husband, Mark.”
The show will be rebranded as Live with Kelly and Mark.
“I’m so grateful to have spent the last six years beside my dear friend of too many decades to count and will miss starting my days with Ryan,” said Ripa. “Ryan’s energy, passion and love for entertainment is one-of-a-kind.”
Seacrest was initially signed to co-host Live for three years, following in Regis Philbin’s footsteps, and ended up staying for six.
“Goodbyes are never easy, but we look forward to welcoming Ryan back regularly with open arms. As a fan-favorite guest host for years, Mark is no stranger to the Live family. Having him join the show is so special for us and we’re sure that viewers will feel the same,” said Michael Gelman, executive producer of Live with Kelly and Ryan.
So far this season, Live has been the top rated talk show among households, total viewers and women 25-54. ■
