Kelly Ripa Co-Hosts ‘Live’ With School Teacher, Has ABC Run Out Of Ideas?
Kelly Ripa’s co-hosts have been rotating ever since Michael Strahan left Live with Kelly and Michael. When it was announced that Strahan was leaving Live for a new gig on Good Morning America, audiences were shocked, but no one was more surprised than Kelly Ripa herself. Usually, people related to the production are told beforehand when a major change is coming, but Ripa was left out of the news until the last minute.
Angry with the production of Live! Ripa decided to take a leave of absence from the show for a week after the announcement was made. When she came back, she addressed the audience, that there needed to be a discussion about communication in the workplace, and that she was later on assured by ABC that Live! was a priority. Shortly after Kelly’s speech, the news hit that she was being made a producer on the show.
Since then Kelly Ripa’s co-host hasn’t been announced. Instead, ABC and Ripa have been very transparent with the audience about their process for finding the right person to replace Michael Strahan. It’s suspected that since ABC is taking their time in finding the perfect replacement, and that they’re thinking long term, instead of having to replace someone else a few years down the line. As it is, Ripa doesn’t seem like she has any intention of leaving the show, especially since she recently got a promotion.
We’ve seen some celebrities like Fred Savage, Jussie Smollett, and Jerry O’Connell establish themselves as fan favorites, but no announcement has been made regarding a permanent co-host.
Wooty woo! Still pretty cool to be named a TOP 10 Finalist in @LiveKelly guest co-host search with @KellyRipa! Thanks to all who voted.???????? pic.twitter.com/uhjffpTHWk
— Courtenay DeHoff (@CourtenayDeHoff) October 13, 2016
Recently, Kelly Ripa’s co-host was a regular high school teacher. Ripa and ABC announced that they were holding a contest called Live with Kelly and You, to test out regular people who were fans of the show for the gig. It was a temporary slot to host with Kelly Ripa, but it got the audience and the viewers at home involved in the process of picking a co-host. Kelly’s spot went to Richard Curtis, a teacher from Souderton, Pennsylvania. Since ABC and Ripa announced the contest for the co-host, it begs the question of whether or not they have run out of options?
As we know, Anderson Cooper was a favorite from the very beginning to take the position, as he was someone that was scouted by Kelly Ripa when producers were looking for a replacement for Regis Philbin. That said, he just re-upped his contract with CNN, so while he has excellent chemistry with Kelly, it seems like Cooper had other plans. While it’s all speculation, perhaps ABC was really banking on placing Anderson Cooper in the role?
Then again, this might be a strategy. It seems like Kelly Ripa’s rotating co-hosts is what has people tuning into the show, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear that ABC is willing to rotate guest co-hosts instead of finding a permanent replacement.
That said, in terms of time, this has been the game plan all along regarding finding a replacement. According to People magazine, a source said that the process wasn’t going to be rushed.
“Kelly has always felt strongly that the show will need a permanent co-host and she is committed to finding one, but that process cannot be rushed, and so she is happy to take her time to make sure that the chemistry is right.”
Yeah @michaelbuble is guest co-host with @KellyRipa tomorrow on @LiveKelly yeah and Tuesday and Wednesday as well. Yeah.???????? pic.twitter.com/HhbOMpmnj1
— Kare Thompson (@kellyripacool) October 23, 2016
It is curious, though, considering Ripa has hosted with many of the same faces over a series of weeks. This week Michael Buble will join Ripa in the guest chair.
Do you think Kelly Ripa will find her co-host?
[Featured Image by Mark Davis/Getty Images]
