Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos Usher in New Era of ‘Live’ on 1st Episode Since Ryan Seacrest’s Exit: ‘The Future Starts Now’
usmagazine.comNo backing out! Mark Consuelos made his official debut as wife Kelly Ripa‘s cohost on Monday, April 17 — with a few special guests in the audience.The couple took their seats side by side on the Live With Kelly and Mark set for the first time since Ryan Seacrest‘s exit, with an announcer declaring, “The future starts now,” at the top of the episode.
Ripa, 52, went on to introduce her husband, also 52, joking that Consuelos would be “joining me today and permanently until one of us dies.”The Riverdale actor made a reference to his and Ripa’s All My Children characters, teasing, “Hayley and Mateo forever.”Ripa and Consuelos played Hayley Vaughan and Mateo Santos, respectively, on the ABC soap opera that sparked their real-life romance.
The twosome tied the knot in 1996 and share three children: daughter Lola, 21, and sons Michael, 25, and Joaquin, 20.Lola was in the studio on Monday to celebrate her dad’s first episode, along with a few of the cohosts’ “longest friends.” After chatting about how she and her husband spent the weekend in New York City, Ripa unveiled a new Live With Kelly and Mark sign and an accompanying billboard outside.“This is all feeling very permanent,” Consuelos teased, to which the Live Wire author replied, “Oh honey, nothing here is permanent.
Except for me, evidently.”Ripa noted that the CW star is no stranger to the Live set having appeared several times throughout her 20-plus years helming the daytime series.
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