Ryan Seacrest Tests Negative for COVID-19 After Missing 2 Days of ‘Live With Kelly and Ryan’

Ryan Seacrest did not test positive for COVID-19 after missing two days of Live With Kelly and Ryan due to illness this week. The TV host, 45, might not have been feeling well, but co-star Kelly Ripa assured the audience it was not because of the coronavirus during an update Tuesday on Seacrest’s health.

“UPDATE: Great news.. test came back and he’s negative! Ryan will be back tomorrow!” the Live With Kelly and Ryan Instagram account captioned a video of Ripa making a similar announcement while hosting solo from her desk. In the clip, the All My Children alum addresses a socially distanced, masked audience, explaining, “We have all of these new restrictions now so this is why we have to wait until he comes back negative for him to get in here. We take it seriously.”

The Live family was thrilled to know Seacrest had not contracted the virus that has killed more than 217,000 Americans since March but praised Ripa for holding the fort down on her own during the days he was absent. “Yay! Kelly is doing a great job solo but glad Ryan’s healthy,” one person commented, as another chimed in, “Missing Ryan but Kelly is doing great!” A third fan was “so glad to hear he’s okay,” while others praised the show for keeping with strict safety protocols while Seacrest travels back and forth from the American Idol set, where he is also currently filming. “Does anyone realize he’s traveling to do Idol… test would make sense for a safety measure for all,” one person commented, as a second fan added, “Kudos for taking this seriously!!”

When the coronavirus pandemic first spread to the U.S., Ripa and Seacrest worked out how to host their hit show virtually from home, returning to the studio only in September with increased safety measures. Figuring out social distancing on set has been possible using technology, one producer explained on the show’s Instagram upon returning to live filming. “What’s cool is the hosts are gonna be so far apart, but at the same time we’re gonna put them together in an electronic effect, like magic,” he said. “It feels much closer and warmer.” Since their return to studio, Seacrest was also out for two days in September with a “sore throat,” which Ripa said would normally not keep him from hosting by her side, but everyone is “being very cautious these days” amid the pandemic.