Kelly Ripa Co-Host: 37 Have Joined ‘Live’ Host, But Who Will Replace Michael Strahan?


The search for Kelly Ripa’s new co-host is still on! Since Michael Strahan’s departure, 34 men (from Jimmy Kimmel to Fred Savage) and three women (Busy Phillips, Carrie Ann Inaba, Ciara) have sat in the co-host chair, joining Kelly Ripa for morning chatter and celebrity interviews. According to the Wrap (and Live! viewers), some co-hosts have done far better than others, seemingly making the permanent choice a bit easier.

While just about everyone thought that Kelly Ripa would have a new co-host by now, there doesn’t seem to be any kind of immediate rush to add someone’s name to the payroll. Most people (including Kelly Ripa) were shocked that Michael Strahan left the show to go to Good Morning America on a full-time basis. The way that everything went down was pretty shady and Ripa was basically blindsided by the news. It is entirely possible that this is the reason that that crew over at Live! is taking their time choosing the person who will be the right fit for the show going forward. Because let’s face it, there’s a lot of things to think about when it comes to making this decision.

Kelly Ripa [Image by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for OCRF]

For starters, Kelly Ripa’s co-host must have fantastic chemistry with her. She’s a firecracker and really takes center stage on the show. For this reason, Kelly needs someone who can keep up with her. She also needs someone who compliments her and doesn’t overpower her presence. Since she has been a staple on the morning talk show for several years now, her role is very important.

Secondly, the person chosen as Kelly Ripa’s new co-host must appeal to the audience. One wrong move here and the show’s ratings could drop significantly. There are some people that just don’t like certain male television counterparts for Kelly and many of those people simply won’t watch the show anymore if they don’t like the chosen co-host.

The Wrap has ranked the 39 co-hosts, giving the top five spots to some well-deserved fellas. The top five choices haven’t changed since the beginning of this co-host search. Neil Patrick Harris, Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Fred Savage, and Jerry O’Connell are all basically in a dead heat when it comes to being named the king to Kelly’s queen.

Kelly Ripa [Image by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images]

Check out some of the best clips from the last 79 episodes of Live! Based on the clips below, you can see who has good chemistry with Kelly and it is clear to see that each one of these guys compliments Ripa on the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRSs0cGY1GI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OsCEG1ipWM

Kelly Ripa has had several other co-hosts since Michael Strahan’s exit, but it does seem obvious that she has her favorites. Fred, Anderson, Andy, Jerry, and Neil have all been on Live! multiple times. This means, of course, that the powers-that-be over on ABC have significant data when it comes to ratings. Clearly, ratings are higher with some of these guys and it could be a deciding factor.

Although it took six months for Live! producers to select Kelly as a replacement for Kathie Lee and nine months to find a suitable successor to Regis, maybe will milk this “who will it be?” stuff for a while. The changing of co-hosts is kind of cool and keeps people interested, which could also be helping ratings and sort of reinventing the show.

Who do you want to see as Kelly Ripa’s new co-host? Do you like that the co-host keeps changing or would you like to see someone on the show in a permanent position?

[Featured Image by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]

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