‘Live’ Goodbye Kelly Ripa, Hello New A-List Co-Host?

Has Live with Kelly and Mark bid goodbye to Kelly Ripa, and said hello to a new A-list co-host?

If there’s one thing that can be said about the Live fan universe in recent days, it’s that they’re confused about what Kelly plans to do with her future on the show. She’s in, she’s out; no one really knows what her future with Live holds. However, one A-list host who has been filling in for Kelly has fans feeling somewhat mollified. After all, if Kelly decides to leave, he makes a great replacement according to fan forums. Read on to find out who’s been taking Kelly’s place, and if it will be permanent.

Kelly’s Absences Create Giant Question Mark About Her Future

Fans of Live are really starting to wonder if Kelly Ripa is in for good, or on her way out. The big question mark hanging above Kelly’s chair all started with a joke about winning the lottery.

Ahead of July’s $1 billion Powerball drawing, Kelly told fans that she was leaving the show and never coming back. Only if she won the lottery, of course. But the day after the winning Powerball ticket was drawn, Kelly was missing from the studio. And her absence extended into the next day. Fans took to online forums to chat about whether their favorite morning host had struck it rich and run away to the South of France. But since her husband and co-host Mark Consuelos was still in the studio, they were a little confused.

The following Monday, Kelly returned to the studio, much to her fans’ relief. But throughout last week, she was absent multiple times. Then, the Live cast and crew shared that they would not be filming any new episodes until the new season drops on September 5th. So Kelly’s absence will continue through the break. However, they pre-recorded a number of episodes before the break, so producers promised to air “fresh” content during the interim.

A-List Celebrity Means Goodbye to Kelly Ripa, Hello To New Live Co-Host?

But Kelly’s absence is still inspiring confusion and concern among fans who wonder if she’ll return in September alongside Mark. Filling in for her have been a number of popular hosts, but none as beloved as legendary talk show host and television personality, Anderson Cooper.

Last Thursday, Anderson was again tapped to fill in for Kelly. He has been a long-time friend of both Mark and Kelly, so watching him on set with Mark is like watching two old friends catch up, according to fans. They shared a sweet moment filmed backstage when Mark surprised Anderson in his dressing room. In the video, Mark snuck up on Anderson with a big grin plastered on his face. When Anderson turned and noticed his friend, he grinned too and they embraced. It was a sweet moment that Mark memorialized in an online post with the caption, “Co-hosting with the silver fox.”

In the comments of the post, fans noted that Kelly should be careful lest Anderson steal her spot. After all, they “love” seeing Mark and Anderson host together. It does seem for now, however, that Kelly plans to return with the new season. She filmed the season opener this month with Mark and has not made any formal announcement about leaving. Perhaps Anderson fans can talk the show into expanding the two-host lineup into a three-host lineup.

Do you want producers to replace Kelly Ripa with Anderson Cooper? Or are you happy seeing Kelly and Mark Consuelos host together indefinitely? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And catch Live with Kelly and Mark on weekday mornings on ABC at 9 AM EST.