Kelly Ripa’s First Guest Co-Host Will Be Jimmy Kimmel


Kelly Ripa and Mike Strahan will co-host their last Live! show on Friday, May 13, and E! Online is reporting that Jimmy Kimmel has been chosen as Kelly’s guest co-host for the Monday, May 16 broadcast. Michael’s departure date was originally scheduled for September, but it was moved to May soon after Ripa’s return from her voluntary absence.

ABC commented on the change.

“After meeting with the producers of both Live and Good Morning America, and after speaking with Kelly and Michael, we have decided on a plan that best advantages both shows for the future. To that end, Michael’s last day on Live will be on Friday, May 13, which not only gives the show the chance to have a nice send-off for him during the May book, but to also immediately begin the on-air search for a new co-host.”

When Regis Philbin left Live! in 2011, the show had several different people co-host with Ripa. It was their way of assessing the chemistry between her and each person. The chemistry is critical to the success of a show that spends a great deal of time focused on the conversation between Kelly and her partner. It was a sort of audition for the part of Ripa’s co-host. It sounds like Live! plans to use the same process upon Strahan’s departure.

Is Kimmel auditioning for the part? Is he interested in taking a seat next to Kelly five days a week? We don’t know at this point. His show is taped in Los Angeles, however, so if he did take on co-hosting with Ripa five days a week, some big changes would be required for his late-night show. Picking it up and moving it all, including Jimmy’s home, New York, seems unlikely.

Things seem to be back to normal at Live! with Kelly and Michael, or at least closer to normal. Ripa reportedly felt blindsided by the news of Strahan’s departure. She is said to have felt that the manner in which she learned of the news was unprofessional. Kelly has said that she felt disrespected and that she felt the network had shown a lack of respect for the show. Ripa took a couple of unplanned days off, and upon her return, she addressed the audience.

She started with a little levity.

“Guys, our long national nightmare is over…I’m going to be completely honest: I’m fairly certain that there are trained, professional snipers with tranquilizer darts in case I drift too far off message.”

Kelly continued by expressing gratitude. Ripa then continued on a bit more serious note.

“I first want to honestly, sincerely thank you for welcoming me back to this show. The love, the show of support to this bizarre time has been really overwhelming. I really needed a couple of days to gather my thoughts. After 26 years with this company, I earned the right—and let’s be honest, I know half of you called in sick to be here, so we get each other. In that time, I gained some perspective. I always speak from the heart. I didn’t want to come out here and just, like, say something I might regret. What transpired, though, over the course of a few days has been extraordinary in the sense that it started a much greater conversation about communication and consideration and, most importantly, respect in the workplace.”

After a few uncomfortable days between Kelly and Michael, the two seem to have relaxed a bit more. At least on the air and in front of the studio audience, Ripa and Strahan seemed to have called a truce until Michael’s departure date, after which the search for a new Live! partner for Kelly Ripa begins in earnest.

Kelly Ripa is 45-years-old and has been married to Mark Consuelos for 20 years. Ripa and Consuelos have three children together.

[Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images]

Share this article: Kelly Ripa’s First Guest Co-Host Will Be Jimmy Kimmel
More from Inquisitr