Ryan Seacrest Leaving ‘Live With Kelly and Ryan,’ as Mark Consuelos Joins Daytime Show

Seacrest out: Ryan Seacrest is stepping down from Live With Kelly and Ryan after six seasons.

The host announced the move on Thursday’s episode, and there’s already a replacement picked out: co-host Kelly Ripa’s husband, Mark Consuelos, who has previously filled in for Seacrest. The syndicated show will be rebranded as Live With Kelly and Mark. Seacrest said on Thursday’s show that he would return occasionally to guest co-host.

Announcing the news on air Thursday, Seacrest said he and Ripa had been talking about this development “for a long time” and that it’s been a “tough, tough decision.”

“Last year we spoke, and I made the decision to make this my last season as co-host,” Seacrest said, calling his departure “bittersweet.”

“You are a gem. You are one of my best friends,” Ripa said, adding, “The greatest part of this experience has been that you’ve gone from being a friend to a family member. You are family. We love you. We are so proud of you. I know how much of a sacrifice it’s been. I know how exhausting it’s been going back and forth [from New York to L.A.].”

The two hosts, who hugged at the end of their announcement, both seemed emotional, with Seacrest saying he promised Ripa he wouldn’t cry and joking before they went to commercial that they were taking a break so he could cry.

“Working alongside Kelly over the past six years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career,” Seacrest said in a statement. “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. 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.”

Added Ripa: “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. Ryan’s energy, passion and love for entertainment is one-of-a-kind.”

Seacrest originally signed onto the show for three years and ended up staying for six. He plans to return to the West Coast where he will continue to host ABC’s American Idol. He will also continue to host Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest.

Seacrest, who joked that his departure might partly be due to the cold New York winters, said his three years turned into six due to the “genuine fun” of being on this show every day.

“Goodbyes are never easy, but we look forward to welcoming Ryan back regularly with open arms,” Gelman said. “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.”

The tapping of Consuelos puts a rather literal spin on the show’s original concept, which launched in 1983 as The Morning Show. “The real concept of the show, in a symbolic sense, is that they are husband and wife,” Gelman said. “They have their coffee mugs and they’re chit-chatting about what’s going on.” It’s a format that has its roots in early radio programs, such as Breakfast With the Fitzgeralds. Since the launch of The Morning Show, the series has had several host and name changes over the years, such as Live With Regis and Kathie Lee, which ran from 1988–2000. Ripa joined Regis Philbin in 2001 and has co-hosted the show ever since.

Philbin left in 2011, with Michael Strahan named as his successor. Strahan exited the morning show in 2016 with Seacrest later named as his replacement.

Ripa quipped on Thursday’s show that her husband joining her as a co-host would be “the nation’s weirdest social experiment.”

In all seriousness, though, she said Consuelos is “the only person who I think is capable of holding [Seacrest’s] torch the way [he] held it.”

Live With Kelly and Ryan is currently ranked as the No. 1 daytime talk show in total viewers and women 25-54.

Hilary Lewis contributed to this report.