One of the most interesting aspects of having Mark Consuelos take over for Ryan Seacrest on Live! in 2023 was getting a peek into his dynamic with wife Kelly Ripa. The hosting transition was as seamless as they could have hoped, and two years later as episodes continue to air on the 2025 TV schedule, it's still smooth sailing. However, Ripa admits there is one thing that her husband does that annoys her when they’re on live TV.
Kelly Ripa sat down with the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast to discuss all kinds of topics, from aging to sex to what it’s like to work with her husband. Ripa has been a host of Live! for multiple rebrands since 2001, and I’m sure it’s safe to say Mark Consuelos is her favorite of all the guys she’s worked with on the show — the others being Regis Philbin, Michael Strahan and Ryan Seacrest. However, there’s one habit the Riverdale actor has that she could do without. She said:
He doesn’t listen to me frequently, and he will tune me out while we’re live on the air. I’m like, ‘Here’s the thing. I’m used to you tuning me out in life, but when you are being paid — highly paid, by the way — to literally listen to me, then you have to.’
I am dying at Kelly Ripa not only having to remind Mark Consuelos not to tune her out when they’re on the air but reminding him that he is actually being paid very well to remain focused on her words. They’ve been together for so long, too, that she knows exactly what it looks like when he stops listening. Ripa continued:
I watch him drift away, and I’m like, ‘Hey, hey, don’t do that.’
I’m sure the casual home viewer doesn’t even notice when his attention starts to shift, but he’s definitely not going to get away with that sitting just inches away from his wife.
The former soap opera stars have been married since 1996 and share three children, and I’m sure anyone who’s been in a long-term relationship can admit to sometimes tuning out their partner. In fact, I recently admitted to doing just that, so there’s no judgment from me, especially since Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have been together for literal decades.
The All My Children alum also points out that she understands it happening in their personal lives, but it's when they’re at work that she needs Mark Consuelos to bring the co-host energy, which is a whole different ballgame than the husband energy.
All in all, it’s a pretty small gripe when it comes to working with your spouse, because there are a lot of married couples who couldn’t do a show together — like Nicole Kidman rejecting the idea of co-starring with Keith Urban — not to mention doing it live every day.
You can catch the husband and wife team on Live with Kelly and Mark each weekday; check your local listings for time and channel.
