Kelly Ripa Named To New Jersey Hall Of Fame, ‘Live’ Co-Host Struggle Continues

Kelly Ripa has been named to the New Jersey Hall of Fame. On Tuesday, the Garden State’s memorial establishment announced their 15 newest inductees, which include Ripa, the longtime morning talk show host of Live with Kelly. The Hall of Fame’s induction ceremony will be held at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, New Jersey, on Sunday, May 7, 2017.

Ripa was previously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015. Now, the proclaimed “morning queen” will be celebrated by her home state. Kelly was born in Stratford, New Jersey, on October 2, 1970, which means the TV host is currently 46-years-old. Other New Jersey Hall of Fame 2017 inductees include the Fugees’ Wyclef Jean, musician Tommy James, boxer Chuck Wepner, and businessman Alfred Koeppe.

Meanwhile, Ripa is still hard at work attempting to find a permanent co-host for her daily Live with Kelly program. The show has been co-host-less since her former partner Michael Strahan opted for a spot on Good Morning America back in May, leaving Kelly in the lurch. In the interim, Ripa has co-hosted the show with a variety of celebrity guest hosts such as Christian Slater, Anderson Cooper, and her husband, Mark Consuelos.

As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kelly Ripa’s New Jersey Hall of Fame induction joins her with an all-star inductee roster. The aforementioned Chuck Wepner, whose early boxing career is associated with Bayonne, New Jersey, was reportedly the inspiration for the 1976 Sylvester Stallone movie Rocky.

“Television host Kelly Ripa, soccer star Carli Lloyd, and former heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner, who reportedly inspired Rocky, are among the 15 people inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame for 2016, the hall announced this week.”

The Clay Center Dispatch also covered the New Jersey Hall of Fame’s 2017 inductees. Actor Ray Liotta, born in Newark and best known for his subsequent work in the films Goodfellas (1990), Field of Dreams (1989), and Something Wild (1986), will also be inducted alongside Kelly Ripa in May.

“The group announced Tuesday also includes singer Connie Francis, actor Ray Liotta and musician Tommy James for the performing arts. TV journalist Connie Chung and author Carol Higgins Clark.”

The list of inductees is available here. Kelly Ripa, Connie Chung, Ray Liotta, Carol Higgins Clark, Connie Francis, Chuck Wepner, Alfred Koeppe, Tommy James, Wyclef Jean, Peace Pilgrim, Arthur Imperatore Sr., Philip Kearny, Carol Blazejowski, Carli Lloyd, and Rosey Grier will all be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame this Spring.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Kelly Ripa co-host search is still ongoing. In November, Live guest co-host and former Fox News personality Megyn Kelly gave Ripa’s program a much-needed ratings boost. However, reports that Megyn may be joining forces with NBC’s Today show, a rival of ABC’s Live, could give Ripa a run for her money. As widely covered in the media, Megyn recently left the Fox News channel for a contract with NBC.

Be sure to tune into Live with Kelly next week, as Ripa will again be joined by famed newsman and close friend Anderson Cooper as co-host on Monday, January 23. On Tuesday, January 24, Kelly will welcome Scandal actress Bellamy Young as her Live guest co-host. Finishing off the week as Ripa’s co-host will be Party of Five’s Scott Wolf for January 25, 26, and 27. Who is your favorite of Kelly Ripa’s co-hosts?

Are you proud of Kelly Ripa’s New Jersey Hall of Fame induction? Did you know that Kelly was originally from New Jersey? Who do you think should be Kelly Ripa’s new co-host on Live with Kelly? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by Mike Coppola/Getty Images]