Here’s Why Kelly Ripa Was Missing From ‘Live!’ On August 3

Kelly Ripa was absent from her usual co-hosting duties on Live! with Kelly and Ryan August 3. Former Scandal star Katie Lowes instead dialed in to chat with Ryan Seacrest via video call from her own home as the long-running ABC morning series continues to air new remote episodes amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

As the show began, the American Idol host explained why Kelly was absent as the voice over introduced the pair. He revealed that everything was fine with the mom-of-three, and she was actually taking what’s likely to be a few days off because she’s on vacation.

Ryan, who was dressed in a blue denim short-sleeved shirt, kicked things off by greeting the former Easy Money star.

“Good morning on this Monday, August third.”

“Kelly is on vacation and Katie is filling in at his very early hour on the West Coast,” he continued, suggesting the actress was also somewhere in California as he went to Los Angeles earlier this year to quarantine at the start of the outbreak.

Kelly began filming new episodes from her and husband Mark Consuelos’ family vacation home in the Caribbean after locking down there back in March but recently returned to the U.S. to continue with the show from her house in New York.

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After exchanging some pleasantries to open the latest episode. Katie admitted that she found it “really weird and fun” to be sitting in Kelly’s seat.

In 2001, Kelly became a permanent co-host alongside the late Regis Philbin. Last week, per a report from The Inquisitr, Kelly revealed her daughter Lola’s heartbreaking reaction to his death during an appearance on Good Morning America.

The guest star, who rocked a black top for the occasion, then told her co-host that she actually woke up at 3:30 a.m. to begin preparing for the episode.

She added that she “didn’t sleep at all” because she was “so excited” to take on Kelly’s role for the day.

While the host didn’t reveal how long Kelly will be away from Live! or exactly where she’s vacationing right now, there’s no doubting that the former All My Children actress could probably do with a little time for rest and relaxation.

The TV personality was visibly emotional and broke down in tears on the show last week as she and the Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve host paid tribute to Regis following his death last month.