Ryan Seacrest will exit "Live with Kelly and Ryan" after six years and will be replaced by co-host Kelly Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos.
Seacrest revealed the news on Thursday's episode of the morning talk show while discussing his future plans.
"This is something that [Kelly] and I have been talking about for a long time, and it was a tough, tough decision. Last year we spoke, and I made the decision to make this my last season as co-host," he said, according to Page Six.
"What I plan to do is once ‘American Idol' starts from Los Angeles later this spring, I'll head out to the West Coast and host that show," Seacrest said, adding that he vowed to return "to guest host and fill in" at times.
Ripa noted that Seacrest was only "supposed to be here for three years" but stayed for six. She then revealed that Consuelos, who has filled in as co-host on several occasions in the past, will replace Seacrest.
"The only person I can think of that is capable of holding [Ryan's] torch the way [he has] held it would be my husband, Mark Consuelos, in what Ryan and I are calling the nation's weirdest social experiment," Ripa said.
Ripa previously worked alongside Regis Philbin from 2001-11, followed by Michael Strahan from 2012-16, before picking Seacrest to be her co-host in 2017.
"Ryan is a quintessential broadcaster and at the top of his game," Ripa said at the time, according to Deadline. "I am thrilled to start my mornings with him every day, and we are so fortunate at 'Live' to have him join the family.
"Ryan is a close friend, and his star shines as brightly off camera as it does on. His tremendous success is only matched by his impeccable reputation. Plainly said, everyone loves him, and so will our daily viewers."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.