Jerry Seinfeld Joins Kelly Ripa as First Co-Host After Regis Philbin's Live! Departure

10:46 AM PDT 11/1/2011 by Michael O'Connell

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After Philbin takes his final bow on Nov. 19, the comedian will sit in for the shortened Thanksgiving week of the daytime talk show.

When Kelly Ripa kicks off her tenure as the lone host of Live! on Nov. 21, she'll have a little company.

WABC-TV announced that Jerry Seinfeld will sit beside her during the first week following co-host Regis Philbin's official departure. A frequent guest on the series, Seinfeld will appear as co-host for three shows, Nov. 21-23, during the abbreviated Thanksgiving week shooting schedule.

VIDEO: Celebrating Regis Philbin's 80th with 8 Unforgettable Moments

“Jerry is a great friend of ours, and a friend of Kelly’s, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s an entertainment icon,” said Live! executive producer Michael Gelman. “It’s a great way to kick off the new beginning of our show.”

Seinfeld will be the first in a long string of hosting cameos on the series. Philbin, who leaves the daytime talk show after a 28 years on Nov. 19, has not been replaced yet.

STORY: Regis Philbin Announces Final 'Live' Date

Instead, the series plans to try out potential co-headliners for Ripa over the coming months, just like Philbin did in 2000 after the departure of co-host Kathie Lee Gifford.

The series also announced that Jason Segel, Kim Cattrall, Howie Mandel, Jamie Oliver and Miss Piggy will be among the guests in the new Live! with Kelly era.