Kelly Ripa Hints At Leaving ‘Live’ In The Hands Of New Co-Host Ryan Seacrest
Is Kelly Ripa ready to leave Live just weeks after announcing Ryan Seacrest as her new cohost?
The Hollywood Reporter recently revealed that while ABC was in negotiations to bring in Seacrest to replace Michael Strahan, his return as the host of the 2018 American Idol reboot was already being discussed.
This shoots down the myth that Ripa was “blindsided” by Seacrest being in talks to host the reboot, which surfaced soon after he took his chair on Live.
During negotiations, Ripa was quick to point out that she was the happiest she had ever been, but with Seacrest coming in, she also saw a way out for herself.
“But at some point, I’d like to wind down. I’m not Ryan, I don’t have his battery. So, when I look at him, I see the future of this show,” she told THR.
Ripa has hosted the show since 2001 when she started out being the cute bubbly blonde opposite Regis Philbin. Her popularity with fans skyrocketed, and when Philbin retired, she took it upon herself to find the right person to fill his seat.
Enter Michael Strahan, who would co-host Live with Kelly and Michael for almost four years. If Kelly Ripa only could have seen what was going to happen. In March of 2016, Ripa was truly “blindsided” and “livid” as Strahan announced live on the air that he was leaving Live for GMA. Ripa was so hurt over the sudden news that she abruptly left the show and went on vacation with husband Mark Consuelos, reported E! News.
Ripa went through a slew of co-hosts before making Seacrest her permanent partner. Despite hiring the hardest working man in show business, things are not going all that well in the ratings department. After seeing a spike in the ratings during the first week, Live took a 12 percent dive for the second week, according to the Wrap.
As far as his return to American Idol is concerned, Seacrest was very open regarding how he felt about the show that made him a household name.
“I’ve always loved the show,” Seacrest told THR of Idol. “And if I could do it forever, I would do it forever.”
But Us Weekly reports that negotiations have not gone smoothly. Seacrest was reportedly close to inking his deal when he learned that ABC had offered new judge Katy Perry a staggering $25 million for Season 1. One can only assume that his paycheck was not close to that number because talks between Seacrest and ABC stalled.
While his future with American Idol remains up in the air, Seacrest’s future at Live seems set in stone. Let’s hope they can get those ratings to rebound.
Tell us! Do you want to see Ryan Seacrest return to American Idol? Let us know in the comments below.
[Featured Image by Disney/ABC]
