After six seasons as co-host, Ryan Seacrest will leave ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan.’
Ryan Seacrest is quitting Kelly and Ryan’s show.
The media celebrity delivered the ” bittersweet ” statement Thursday morning during the East Coast broadcast of the morning talk show.
“I’ve decided to make this my final season as a co-host,” he stated, adding that he will leave the show to focus on American Idol and other ventures.
Seacrest originally appeared on the morning talk show as a replacement for Michael Strahan in 2017. His original aim was to stay for three years, but he enjoyed co-hosting so much that he extended his stay for another three.
It wasn’t always simple, though, because his main house was in Los Angeles, the show was recorded in New York, and he continued to host American Idol, which was filmed in Los Angeles.
“Working with Kelly for the past six years has been a dream job and one of the joys of my career,” Seacrest stated, according to People. “She has been an incredible partner, friend, and confidante, and while we will always be in each other’s life, I will miss our mornings together.”
“You’ve progressed from a buddy to a family member. “You’re like family to us,” Kelly Ripa explained. “I’m really proud of you and rooting for you all the way.”
Regarding family, Seacrest’s replacement will be a familiar face: Ripa’s husband, Mark Consuelos.
Consuelos has co-hosted the show in the past, but if Seacrest departs, he will have a regular role alongside his wife.
“It’s been a memorable voyage, and now I’m looking forward to passing the torch to Kelly’s’real’s husband, Mark,” Seacrest added.
The show’s name will be changed to Live with Kelly and Mark.
We’ll miss you, Ryan, but we wish you the best of luck in the future! We can’t wait to have Mark on the show as a permanent co-host.
