Live with Kelly and Markkicked off Monday, delivering on the easy chemistry fans ofMark ConsuelosandKelly Ripahave come to expect over the years.
“Thank you for joining us,” Ripa told her husband toward the end of the show. “It’s as if you’ve always been here.”
Earlier into the episode, after the launch was billed as “the beginning of a new chapter,” the 52-year-oldLive Wireauthor joked that Consuelos, 52, would be “joining me today — and permanently, until one of us dies.”
TheRiverdalealum told his wife, “Thank you for trusting me to be your co-host.” He continued with a nod to theirAll My Childrencharacters: “Thank you America, thank you — Hayley and Mateo forever.”
Later, celebrity guestRozonda “Chilli” ThomasofTLCalso gave a shout-out to the famous AMC couple, saying she nearly named her son after the daytime bad boy — to which Consuelos said, “I’ve met so many Mateos, they’re all in their mid-20s now.”
Miller Mobley; Everett
Among the friends and love ones in the audience were longtime pals Willie and Gretchen Randolph. Ripa recalled that “Willie famously gave me a pep talk the night before I started hosting here [in 2001]. He actually picked me up and put me on the counter because I was nervous and scared. … Willie, did you give Mark a pep talk?”
Though the former MLB pro joked, “I think he needs one,” he then affirmed, “No, you guys are gonna be great!”
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.David M. Russell/Walt Disney/ABC
At that point, Kelly unveiled the newLive with Kelly and Marksign and cameras flashed to a billboard outside the show’s Upper West Side studio in New York City and to an LED screen featuring the new co-hosts in Times Square.
“This is all feeling very permanent,” noted Consuelos, who previously co-hostedLive92 times ahead of his full-time debut.
“Oh honey, as you know, nothing here is permanent — except for me, evidently,” quipped Ripa. She added, “You’re likeAl PacinoinThe Godfather. [Just when you think you’re out] we’ve pulled you back in.”
“This is my favorite hour or television every morning, I swear,” he told her. “I’m so proud, and it’s just a privilege to be here with you.”
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.Eugene Gologursky/Getty
The show’s renaming toLive with Kelly and Markmarks the daytime series' eighth title change over its lifespan, most recently shifting in the wake of the departure ofRyan Seacrest, wholeft the series on Friday after six seasons.
News of Seacrest’s departure first dropped in February, when he announced onLivehe would be leaving the series with plans to move back to the west coast ahead of theAmerican Idollive shows in Los Angeles.
Leaving was a “tough, tough” decision, Seacrest noted on the show, and a “bittersweet” one.
“Working alongside Kelly over the past six years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career,” said Seacrest 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.”
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest.Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC
Ripa also shared her fondness for Seacrest, calling him a “dear, dear friend.” And, in fact, that co-host made a sly appearance on Monday’sLive with Kelly and Markdebut — his childhood memory of emulating iconic radio DJCasey Kasemwas the answer to a call-in trivia contest for one of the show’s fans.
Back in February, Ripa said of Seacrest: “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.”
Since then, the two have been cherishing their final few months on the show, Ripa telling PEOPLE earlier this month thatit’ll be a smooth transition.
“Nothing will really change, just the different name on the mug,” said Ripa, noting that Seacrest and Consuelos are “like brothers” and that Seacrest. is family “Ryan is like my — I always say is like my brother, but he’s also like my oldest child. So you know, it’s gonna be seamless.”
Watch the full episode of People Cover Story:Kelly Ripa& Mark Consuelos below
Both Ripa and Seacrest have noted that he will return to the show from time to time to fill in.
As for Ripa and Consuelos’s three kids, she told PEOPLE it’s “less likely” that they’ll regularly appear on the show. “Once in a while, they’ll come on the show as a favor to mom,” she said, “but if they feel like we’re forcing them on, I’m certain [they] will run away from that idea.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Liveairs weekday mornings on ABC (check local listings).
source: people.com
