Inside Ryan Seacrest's Relationship With Kelly Ripa
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest are truly the golden couple of daytime television. What makes their on-screen chemistry so wonderful and engaging? They are best friends in real life, plus share many of the same values. While personalities like George Stephanopoulos and Matt Lauer are making headlines for all the wrong reasons, Seacrest and Ripa continue to plug away on their show, "Live with Kelly and Ryan," and other projects. Ripa came out with a spicy new memoir in 2022, and Seacrest stays busy with his production company.
If you're looking for Apple TV+ "Morning Show" drama, you won't find any here! Both Ripa and Seacrest simply gush over one another both on screen and off. Ripa recently told ET, "Working with your friends is a great privilege. It is a joy, and I have to say that it is a rare thing to work with a guy who is so authentic and fun and joyful and humble and generous and kind to everyone." We're not crying, you're crying!
Let's take a look inside their relationship, and what makes these two so successful together.
They've been co-hosting together for a while now
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest have been co-hosting "Live with Kelly and Ryan" together for over five years now — time certainly does fly when both personalities refuse to age, wink. Ripa's previous co-hosts were the late Regis Philbin, and ex-NFL player Michael Strahan. While Strahan seemed to make an extremely swift exit from the show that shocked everyone (including Ripa), she recently opened up that it was Regis Philbin who wasn't always easy to work with.
"There were good and bad days," she tells People of co-hosting with Regis for ten years. "I don't want to feel like I'm slamming anyone or that I'm being disrespectful. But I also want people to know it was not a cakewalk. It took years to earn my place there and earn things that are routinely given to the men I worked with. Including an office and a place to put my computer."
It seems as though after many years of not feeling fully comfortable with either co-host, Ripa finally met her match with Seacrest, whom she enjoys working with immensely. "What you see of Ryan on the air is the person he is backstage, which is a unique thing," she told ET. The two seem to balance each other very well — since Ripa has been co-hosting the show for over 15 years now, Ryan Seacrest has added new energy to the daytime talk show.
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest love to poke fun at each other
Working with someone who makes you laugh makes everything more enjoyable — just ask Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest! The two love to crack jokes at one another's expense, and it's all in good fun, of course.
When Ripa took a week off in August 2022, Seacrest made a point to tease her to viewers of their show, "Live with Kelly and Ryan" (via Us Weekly)! While Kelly and husband Mark Consuelos were in the Hamptons on a romantic getaway, Seacrest's guest host, "Scandal" actress Katie Lowes, joked that they "[missed] Kelly." Seacrest quipped back (via Us Weekly), "I heard she won the lottery. She's fine."
Ripa has even been known to poke fun at herself on the show — she referred to her side part as making her more attractive, joking, "I think that as long as I cover half of my face, you [and Consuelos] think I'm pretty" (via "Live with Kelly Ryan"). Instead of laughing, Seacrest gave her a little hug and gushed: "Nooooo!" These two are beyond adorable.
They have major on-air chemistry
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest got emotional as they celebrated their anniversary on air for "Live with Kelly and Ryan" together in September 2022 — Seacrest even got teary-eyed! He laughed to the audience and said, "I actually can't talk."
The host later told ET, "I will say, this show is unique, it's a super different beast. This show is as you see when you watch the beginning, we have a plan, but we rarely stick to a plan. And we can just catch up like friends do. Catch up every day live. I don't know another show around or that I've worked on that is that loose." The two's on-screen chemistry has always appeared so natural, making the show pleasant to watch for viewers.
Ripa once stated that she prefers to "work with friends" (via ET), and she and Seacrest have actually known each other for over 20 years. It shows! "We involve each other in our deep workplace discussions, which was such a new thing for me, " Ripa explained to The Wall Street Journal. Should Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos be jealous of their bond? Never! Kelly and Ryan have said multiple times, it would be gross for them to be a couple! Seacrest once said on-air, "We would never be together." To which Kelly agreed and shouted, "Oh my god, never" (via "Live with Kelly and Ryan").
They influence each other positively
One of the true tests of a valuable friendship: how one friend can influence the other in a positive manner, without the other friend realizing. For example, Kelly Ripa stopped drinking once Ryan Seacrest became her co-host (via ET).
This topic came up when Ripa and Seacrest talked about the drop in wine sales in January 2020. "I believe this is because I quit drinking, that I caused this dip," she said on "Live with Kelly and Ryan," jokingly. But then Seacrest quipped, "I started the show and she quit drinking, what does that tell you? I don't know. Is that good or bad?" Kelly noted that not drinking has been fantastic for her. A speculation is that Ripa needed alcohol when working with her two previous co-hosts, Michael Strahan and Regis Philbin, to de-stress and unwind a bit (via Little Things). Now that she's working with Ryan Seacrest, she no longer has to rely on wine to relax. One more reason why Kelly and Ryan are a match made in heaven!
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
She's supportive of his significant others
If you can't trust your best friend to tell you the truth about who you're dating, who can you trust?! While Kelly has been married to hunky hubby Mark Consuelos for over 20 years, Ryan Seacrest is notorious for dating younger women (such as Julianne Hough and Shayna Taylor). Now, the host, who is in his mid-40s, has been dating model Aubrey Paige since May 2021, as reported by Page Six. What does his BFF and co-host Kelly Ripa think of the model, over 20 years his junior? She loves her!
As the duo revealed on "Live with Kelly and Ryan," Ripa invited Seacrest to bring his model girlfriend to Consuelos' birthday dinner in April 2022. "If you two break up, I'm going into seclusion. I am so fond of her," she told Seacrest about Aubrey Paige the following Monday, on the show.
Seacrest split from his last ex Shayna Taylor in June 2020 (via Page Six). Hopefully Aubrey Paige is here to stay — Kelly sure hopes so!
Both take comments and insults from trolls in stride
It seems as though everyone has an opinion online these days — mainly negative, without an ounce of tact. The term "troll" was basically created to acknowledge the people that enjoy sitting behind a computer screen or phone to hide their identity, while commenting negative remarks on different social media platforms.
As public figures, Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa are no strangers to internet trolls. According to Page Six , Seacrest posted a video on his Instagram in June 2022, and fans absolutely tore Ripa apart for "interrupting" him on "Live with Kelly and Ryan" and not letting him speak — the post had nothing to do with the talk show, by the way. One fan commented on the Instagram post, "Ryan, tell Kelly to go ahead and retire. I am so tired of her complaining about [the] show. And saying she wants out. Tell her to go. Not watching anymore. Love you. Did love her yrs ago!!!!
Both stars rarely ever comment or acknowledge insults online, which is probably the healthiest thing to do.
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest trust each other
Becoming television's favorite morning duo has come so natural to Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, because they truly trust each other. Earlier in 2022, Seacrest told People, "When we look at each other and talk to each other, there's obviously a tremendous amount of trust and respect, but also we can read each other's mind. And I didn't know we could do that so well, but that's true every day." He also added the now-well-known fact that they are able to trust each other after being friends for so many years. "Kelly and I have been friends for two decades," said Seacrest to People. "So we know each other way before — longer before we were on the air together."
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest have been the best team since 2017. It's become quite apparent that these two are very fond of each other, and their positive energy and light absolutely shines through on television.