\n Kelly Ripa<\/span> Gregory Pace\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The start of something new. Kelly Ripa<\/strong><\/a> joked that retiring from Live<\/em><\/a> is always on her mind as husband Mark Consuelos<\/strong><\/a> prepares to step in as cohost.<\/p>\n The New Jersey native and the Riverdale<\/em><\/a> actor, both 52, opened up about their professional collaboration<\/a> during an interview with Entertainment Weekly<\/em><\/a> published on Sunday, April 16 \u2014 one day before Consuelos\u2019 official debut on the daytime talk show.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time you get a new cohost, it\u2019s like a little jolt of energy,\u201d Ripa explained. \u201cBut to be clear, I am always thinking about retiring. It is my favorite topic of discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n Us Weekly<\/em> confirmed<\/a> in February that Ryan Seacrest<\/strong><\/a> was leaving Live With Kelly and Ryan<\/em><\/a> after nearly six years. His final episode aired on Friday, April 14.<\/p>\n \u201cI just want to say a few words to you. It\u2019s on behalf of myself and all of us \u2014 but mostly me,\u201d Ripa began during an emotional tribute<\/a> to the American Idol<\/em><\/a> host, 48. \u201cThis has, without question, been the fastest six years of my life. And although you and I have been friends for decades and decades, I feel like I\u2019ve gained through this process a younger brother \/ oldest son.\u201d<\/p>\n She added: \u201cI am so grateful that our success together on this show has led to us developing an even closer \u2014 yet codependent \u2014 relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n Seacrest, meanwhile, called himself a \u201clucky man\u201d for getting to work alongside Ripa<\/a> for so long. \u201cI so appreciate your leadership, your love, your wisdom and I really do feel like a family member<\/a> and we will have that forever,\u201d he gushed.<\/p>\n Before entering the latest chapter of Live<\/em>, Ripa told EW<\/em> that she has nothing but love<\/a> for her former cohost. \u201cI commend Ryan for lasting as long as he did because I really had my concerns. We\u2019re friends, we\u2019re open, we\u2019ve talked about this in the past, but, of course, I had my concerns about him picking up and moving to New York because it\u2019s not as easy as one thinks it might be,\u201d she explained. \u201cThe sacrifices he made are not lost on me, and I really think he did it for as long as he possibly could.\u201d<\/p>\n The Live Wire<\/em> author confessed that she \u201calways envisioned\u201d that there would be \u201csomebody new coming in to work with Ryan\u201d<\/a> instead of him being the one to leave. In aiming for the most \u201cseamless\u201d transition, the former soap opera actress noted that it \u201cmade perfect sense\u201d<\/a> for Consuelos to fill Seacrest\u2019s shoes.<\/p>\n \u201cA daily morning live talk show is nothing without its consistency and continuity. And Mark provides that, not just for our audience, but for me, for our producers. And so if anybody could make me stay, it is definitely Mark,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n However, Ripa doesn\u2019t see herself staying on the air forever. \u201cI am not one of these people that is like, \u2018The show can\u2019t go on without me,’\u201d she said. \u201cI am a fan of Live<\/em> since before I got there. \u2026 It is a franchise show; I don\u2019t believe the show begins and ends with any one host \u2014 I think it\u2019s collaborative. And I think the next few years provide endless opportunities to test new people out and see what the next iteration of the show will be beyond Mark and me. So it\u2019s a real thought process I always have.\u201d<\/p>\n Consuelos had previously appeared alongside his wife as a guest host<\/a> on several occasions before taking the gig permanently. \u201cThe only difference I see now is that I\u2019ll have a little more time to prepare,\u201d he told the outlet ahead of his debut. \u201cI think my approach would be to do just like I did before: Be present, have a lot of fun, be awake \u2014 you gotta be awake. \u2026 Also, my partner\u2019s arguably the best in the business<\/a> at this format. I know she\u2019s not going to let me screw up too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Kelly](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Kelly-Ripa-Says-Always-Thinking-About-Retiring-Ryan-Seacrest.jpg?w=700&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>
\n Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest<\/span> ABC\/Lorenzo Bevilaqua<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"Kelly](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Kelly-Ripa-Says-Always-Thinking-About-Retiring-From-Live-as-Husband-Mark-Consuelos-Prepares-to-Join.jpg?w=700&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>
\n Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos<\/span> ABC<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n