Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos were joined by a familiar face during Friday’s instalment of LIVE. Ryan Seacrest returned for a sit-down interview – and he had plenty to say about the couple’s hosting skills.
The trio were discussing Ryan’s game show, Wheel of Fortune, when the conversation took a surprising turn after Mark asked a question that shocked him. "Are you doing the wheel ride?" asked Mark. "Mark, have you ever seen the show? The host never spins the wheel. The contestant spins the wheel. It's been weeknights for the last 43 years," replied Ryan.
Mark then admitted that he rarely watches the show. "I'm at the gym," he explained. Ryan then questioned Mark’s hosting skills as he expressed his disappointment that he hadn’t done his background homework ahead of the interview. "Do you do the research before the guests come on," he said.
"He doesn't read the cards right," added Kelly. "Do you have to brief him? I'm shocked," said Ryan. "I brief him but he doesn't listen, much like you, he doesn't listen," replied Kelly.
Mark – who shares kids Michael, Lola, and Joaquin, with his wife – joined LIVE officially in 2023 following Ryan's departure. Ryan left the show due to the demands of traveling back and forth between his home in Los Angeles and the studio in New York, as well as his desire to focus on other projects. Back in July, Kelly revealed that she and Mark were initially hesitant about sharing the spotlight together.
In an interview on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, Kelly admitted that Mark had a surprising reaction when he was first offered the permanent role on ABC. "It was really about convincing Mark," she explained. "Because initially when they came to Mark, he flat out refused."
"I also thought that was kind of a bad idea," she shared. "I was like, a husband and a wife hosting a morning show is different from a husband and wife acting together or producing something together."
However, despite their concerns, the couple proved to be a hit with fans. "The audience really responds to Mark because Mark has a gives zero [expletive] attitude," Kelly said. "And the audience loves that. There’s no artifice with him. If he hates something, he hates it out loud no matter how much we’re supposed to love it. And when he thinks something is dumb, he says it no matter how much we’re supposed to pretend to like whatever the thing is."
"We have been together for 31 years and we are not afraid to express ourselves publicly, there is no artifice," she added. "We’re not worried about protecting each other’s feelings. We both just say what is on our minds and I guess people find that relatable."