Anderson Cooper Ready To Join ‘Live! With Kelly’ Full-Time, But Producers Aren’t So Sure

Anderson Cooper is looking to be Kelly Ripa’s permanent sidekick on Live! With Kelly, but the show’s producers are allegedly worried about signing Cooper after his own talk show, Anderson Live, was cancelled after just two series in 2013.

According to a new report by Entertainment Tonight, Anderson, who’s serving as a temporary guest co-host on the June 1 and June 2 shows, has made it clear to those behind the scenes of Live! With Kelly that he’s looking to join the series as Ripa’s permanent co-host, but producers are allegedly still unsure if they want to make Cooper a long-lasting fixture.

A source revealed to the site that the show’s executives are well aware of the “natural chemistry” Anderson and Kelly have, particularly while Cooper guest hosts the series, but those behind the scenes are allegedly worried about Anderson’s ability to lead a talk show following the less than stellar performance of Anderson Live.

But while the insider is claiming that ABC is reluctant to bring Anderson Cooper in as Michael Strahan’s replacement on the morning show, the source confessed to Entertainment Tonight that it’s not just the Live! With Kelly network that isn’t exactly sold on Cooper’s potential new gig.

The site also reported this week that “a deal is complicated” when it comes to Anderson joining the show, as Cooper is reportedly planning on keeping his job at CNN. That would keep Anderson pretty busy, with the upcoming presidential election later this year.

The news network reportedly “doesn’t want its main talent to have its loyalties split” between the two networks, according to a source who spoke out to the site this week, which could raise timing issues for Anderson, as “CNN will be all in” for the upcoming political race.

But despite their hesitance, the insider admitted to the site that “executives aren’t ruling out Cooper’s wishes” to join the series but still have “others they have their eye on” as Kelly’s potential new co-host.

Anderson Cooper previously spoke out about the possibility of him joining Ripa on the show on a full-time basis during an appearance on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live! back in April, where Cooper confessed that he had not at that point been offered a permanent contract.

“Listen, I love Kelly and I think that show is… Kelly is the heart and soul of that show and it’s going to go on and continue to be great and I wish Michael the best in his new endeavor,” Anderson said of joining Live! With Kelly and Michael. “Look, I’m very happy at CNN. It would be a dream to work with Kelly, but nobody’s offering anything…”

Anderson has been largely speculated to be the frontrunner to take over Michael Strahan’s seat on Live! With Kelly, ever since the former football player announced his shocking departure back in April.

Us Weekly even claimed at the time that Kelly was so adamant to get her long-time friend Cooper on the show as a permanent fixture that she allegedly threatened to quit the series unless producers hired Anderson or Bravo’s Andy Cohen as Michael’s permanent replacement.

According to a source who spoke to the site in April, Ripa was allegedly “talking about leaving” with Live! With Kelly‘s producers unless they agreed to give Strahan’s former position to Cooper or Cohen.

Kelly Ripa “hopes Anderson Cooper or Andy Cohen gets the job” an insider close to the show allegedly to Us Weekly earlier this year. “Unless one of them can come on, she doesn’t really want to do it,” the source said.

Would you like to see Anderson Cooper join Kelly Ripa as a permanent co-host on Live! With Kelly?

[Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for GLAAD]