Kelly Ripa Co-Host Revealed Sept. 4, 59 Choices to Choose From
'This Process Can't Be Rushed,' Says Ripa
Kelly Ripa's co-host on "Live! With Kelly" will be revealed Sept. 4 on the air. The longtime host has been cycling through a plethora of guest hosts since the retirement of Regis Philbin nine months ago, but now, his seat will permanently be filled.
Kelly Ripa's co-host was confirmed Monday by ABC, who assured viewers that the start of the new season would come with a new host to accompany the 41-year-old.The permanent co-host will be chosen out of the 59 guests co-hosts that will have worked on "Live! With Kelly" by September, the network reports.
That leaves many possibilities for a yin to Ripa's yang, but there is wide speculation about a select few hosts with the spark and witty banter to bring new life to the show.
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Josh Groban, 31, Jerry O'Connell, 38, Nick Lachey, 38, and Seth Meyers, 38, have all co-hosted and could be seen as viable replacements for Philbin, who retired in November of 2011 at 80. Even Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, has been eyed by various media outlets as a suitable replacement.
Ripa, however, was quick to dismiss any rumors about her husband joining her live on the air. For the happy couple, their marriage could be jeopardized by mixing business and pleasure.
"No one would make me happier than Mark, but he values our marriage and he says that he doesn't see how we could stay married and both do that show," Ripa explained to Vanity Fair in the June 2012 issue.
Ripa has certainly been patient with the search by the show for a new co-host, because she's been through the process herself in the past. After the retirement of former co-host Kathie Lee Gifford, Ripa first guest co-hosted with Philbin in November of 2000. Even though her debut was "memorable," according to Philbin, she didn't officially get the job until three months later.
"I've been through it from the other side," Ripa told the Associated Press previously. "I sort of understand how it works, and what it is they're looking for, and how this process can't be rushed."
