Ryan Seacrest has been named co-host on Live With Kelly, sharing the stage with Kelly Ripa. On the show Monday, Seacrest said he and Ripa have been friends for a long time.
“I couldn’t be more excited to be here with you,” he told her.
Before the announcement, Ripa made a point of thanking the many individuals who sat as co-hosts alongside her in the past year.
Ripa had been paired with Regis Philbin and then Michael Strahan. Philbin departed in 2011, and Strahan announced last spring that he was shifting to Good Morning America.
The show is now called Live With Kelly and Ryan.
“With Ryan, Live has a new co-host who is a master of live TV, as well as a terrific interviewer with tens of thousands of hours of live broadcasting experience,” said Michael Gelman, executive producer on Live. “When you combine those attributes with the talents and experience of the incomparable Kelly Ripa, you have two skilled and entertaining broadcasters with great chemistry. Add in an experienced production team and a successful 30-year franchise, and you have the perfect combination.”
