After going missing for two days, several sources told OK! Magazine that Kelly Ripa is “fed up” with Ryan Seacrest’s lack of commitment to Live with Kelly and Ryan . Insiders claim that she was issuing a warning to producers that she is the one drawing in audiences, and they even suggested that his few days away from the show weren’t the result of a health scare at all.
Ryan is busy filming American Idol and his new radio series in addition to Live , and apparently, Kelly is tired of his busy schedule.
“Ryan filmed American Idol over the weekend and filmed Monday and Tuesday for their national auditions that would not have interfered with Live With Kelly and Ryan , but Kelly was pissed when she heard about his schedule,” a source said.
When they started Live together, Ryan wasn’t filming the talent competition or his radio gig, and reportedly Kelly felt like he is now spreading his attention too thin. When they started filming, insiders said that she wanted to ensure that her co-host would be committed to the show, but feels like that isn’t happening.
As a result, she seems to want to make it clear that she is carrying the show and won’t put up with less than 100 percent.
“The man is tested daily in Los Angeles while doing Idol . Kelly also refused to entertain the notion of him cohosting from home, which they did for months and are set up to do now. It was basically a warning and her way of making it clear to network executives and Ryan that she is the draw,” the insider added.
The numbers seem to back up her play, as the ratings for Monday and Tuesday’s episodes were up even with the co-host out sick.
However, multiple sources refute the claim that Seacrest wasn’t really away from the series because of a COVID-19 scare. They say that he and all of the judges on Idol are tested each day and are careful to maintain social distance between each other and the contestants.
They added that if he was feeling sick, he wouldn’t have filmed with Katy Perry, who just gave birth.
Ryan told audiences that he had stayed home as part of the standard protocol from the network in order to take a test and make sure that he hadn’t contracted the novel coronavirus, as The Inquisitr previously reported. The producers also confirmed that he was out for testing and wouldn’t return until he had the results.