Is Kelly Ripa stepping down? 'Live' co-host admits she considers retirement with 'great interest'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kelly Ripa has started a healthy discussion on retiring as the ‘Live’ show co-host! Been at the helm for years, the star recently shared that she’s open to ‘stepping down.’
“I don’t intend to work at this job for the rest of my life. I do talk about retirement with great interest.”
However, she quickly adds, "But right now I’m very happy, especially working with Mark,” referring to her partner.
Ripa told ‘The Purist,’ "Other offers come along, but I like to stick with what I know. I am very steadfast in everything I do, and so when you have me, you have me for life."
How long has Kelly Ripa co-hosted the ‘Live’ show?
The 52-year-old replaced Kathie Lee Gifford in 2001 and since then she continues to present the show. This means she has been doing the job for the past 22 years now.
The TV personality admitted that she has a "risk-averse quality" that's "probably the reason I stayed with the same job for so long."
During the chat, Ripa gave fans the credit for the show’s success in the age of streaming services and smartphones.
“Our audience has remained with us. And I think it’s because we are a break from the news. The news we cover is oftentimes absurd. We are sort of a respite from the anxiety of the day. We’re not revolutionary,” she explained.
“We’re evolutionary, and so we evolve in small, tiny increments along the way, and I think that’s very important. It provides comfort to people," she said.
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How has the 'Live' show changed since Mark Consuelos replaced Ryan Seacrest?
Kelly Ripa talked about husband Mark Consuelos’ induction as the co-host and the changes one can expect.
“Mark has taken the trivia game [to a new level]. Adding, “Where Ryan and I would just give away coffee mugs to the audience, and decided that he’s not going to do that anymore. There are no participation trophies in life, he says. 'If they want to win a mug, they’re going to have to stump me.'"
She continued, “I don’t really follow the ratings, but from what I’ve been told that since Mark has taken over, people stay with the show all the way through because they want to see whether or not Mark gets stumped.”
When asked by the outlet what her favorite segment is, the co-host of ‘Live’ said, “I love talking to the trivia callers. Our show is best when it’s going off the rails, when our audience gets to see the slip-ups. It is not this highly polished, Hollywood thing. It is two people meeting, having coffee, having just read the paper. We never cover actual news, we cover absurd news.”
“When you factor in a person calling from their cellphone in the parking lot of a grocery store, what have you, it is rife with the ability to derail very quickly, and I think that’s what I love the best.” she continued.