Kelly Ripa Exiting ‘Live’? She Is Reportedly Taking A Leave Of Absense Weeks After Seacrest Announcement
Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest have been working on Live with Kelly and Ryan for two weeks and she’s already planning for a big leave of absence. Is Ripa thinking about leaving Live because of her new co-host?
An inside source told Radar Online that Ripa is taking a day off the hit talk show every week this summer. The news comes a few weeks after Ripa announced Seacrest as her new co-host of Live. Seacrest is replacing Ripa’s old co-host, Michael Strahan, who’s departure for Good Morning America last year shocked Ripa.
“Come this summer, Kelly is only going to be doing four shows a week on Live — not even pre-taping Friday’s shows,” the insider shared. “Ryan will be getting guest co-hosts and will have to be there on Fridays instead of doing a pre-tape on Thursdays of Friday shows. He also will be doing a whole week of shows without Kelly.”
According to E! News, insiders claim that Ripa and Seacrest are already fighting because of ABC’s plans for rebooting American Idol. With Seacrest in negotiations to host the series on its new network, Ripa is reportedly second guessing his commitment to her show. Even worse, Ripa is still dealing with the emotions from Strahan’s controversial exit in 2016 and is trying to avoid another costly betrayal.
ABC has not detailed its plans for rebooting the hit singing competition, but the network did obtain the rights from Fox. There’s a good chance Seacrest will host the series once again, which has left Ripa worrying about his future on Live. Seacrest is one of the busiest hosts in Hollywood and another full-time job would almost be impossible, especially considering how he still lives in Los Angeles. In addition to his work with Kelly Ripa, Seacrest has his own radio show and producers two reality TV series.
Sources even claim that Seacrest forced his staff members to sign confidentiality agreements to help preserve his public image in case things go bad. All the while, Ripa is planning on spending her free time far away from the studio and Seacrest.
“Kelly will be spending most of August out in the Hamptons and will not be doing any shows — they will all be repeats,” the source shared. “The plan is to gear up with all new Live shows in September after Labor Day — complete with a whole new look for the show as well.”
WFTV reports that Ripa is being cautious about Seacrest because she doesn’t want another Strahan situation. Rebooting American Idol is big news, and if Seacrest hosts the show then it will likely overshadow anything Live can offer. This would put Ripa in another awkward situation, but did she know about the American Idol deal from the very beginning?
An inside source revealed that Ripa knew about ABC’s intentions with Seacrest before she hired him as her new co-host. Ripa and Seacrest have been friends for over 15 years and she felt confident that he would put her show first no matter what ABC has planned.
“He’s not going to do anything to jeopardize Live,” a source revealed. “He has a long-term commitment to the show. He’s excited to be living in New York, and this is a big deal for him.”
A rep for Ripa has since come forward and confirmed that she knew about American Idol beforehand and that ABC is keeping her informed this time around. Given how things played out with Strahan, this is probably a good move.
Fans can watch Ripa and Seacrest when new episodes of Live with Kelly and Ryan air weekdays on ABC.
Tell us! Do you think Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest are doing a good job at hiding their rocky relationship while they are on the air? Let us know in the comments below.
[Featured Image by Disney/ABC]
