Mark Consuelos Speaks out on First ‘Live’ Episode as Wife Kelly Ripa’s Co-Host

Mark Consuelos officially stepped into his role as Kelly Ripa’s co-host on the new Live With Kelly and Mark. Following his first day on the job, which took place on Monday, Consuelos opened up to Us Weekly about hosting the show alongside his wife. According to him, being on the show with Ripa was like being right at “home.”

Considering that they’ve been married for decades now, it makes a ton of sense for Consuelos to feel at home with his wife on the talk show. He said about assuming the role of Live co-host, “This show today truly felt like home. I always feel at home with Kelly but [working] together this morning just felt so right.” He added, “Kelly and I have always [felt] the most [at] ease when we’re together and I feel so lucky we get to do that daily.”

While Consuelos only recently stepped into the role of Live co-host, he’s excited about where he and Ripa will take the show next. The Riverdale alum continued, “I can’t wait to see where we can go from here.” In addition to getting the scoop from Consuelos, Us Weekly also spoke with Ripa about the new phase of the morning show. She even shared her thoughts on how her husband did on his first day as her official co-host. 

“Mark did amazing! Better than I even thought,” she said. “I look forward to a long TV partnership with him.” Ripa, who’s been hosting Live since 2001, added, “He’s a natural and I have a good feeling this is going to be great for a while.” Consuelos was tasked with filling the seat left vacant by Ripa’s former co-host, Ryan Seacrest. In February, Seacrest revealed that he was leaving the talk show in order to focus his time on other projects. 

“Working alongside Kelly over the past six years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career,” Seacrest said. “She has been an amazing partner, friend, and confidant, and although we will always be a part of each other’s lives, I will miss our mornings together. I also want to thank [executive producer] Michael Gelman and the entire staff and crew – we’ve made memories to last a lifetime, met some of the most incredible people and had the warmest welcome into the homes of so many viewers across America. It’s been a memorable ride and now I’m excited to pass the baton to Kelly’s ‘real’ husband, Mark.”