Kelly Ripa made a name for herself on the soap opera All My Children. But she became a household name when she took over as Regis Philbin’s co-host on LIVE after Kathie Lee Gifford left. The actress recently celebrated a huge milestone at the ABC talk show. Now, she revealed that she sought advice from an icon about retiring after reaching the milestone. Keep reading for all the details on her future on television.
LIVE Celebrates Kelly Ripa’s Huge Milestone
Kelly Ripa was still on All My Children when she took over as co-host of LIVE With Regis & Kelly in 2001. She left the soap opera a year later to focus on her co-hosting job, though she returned to say goodbye to the soap when it was canceled in 2011.
Regis Philbin retired in 2011, leaving Kelly Ripa as the lead host. She has several co-hosts over the years, including GMA host Michael Strahan and American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest. Her real-life husband, Mark Consuelos, joined as permanent co-host in 2023.
He helped the ABC show celebrate his wife’s huge milestone. LIVE pulled out all the stops to celebrate Kelly Ripa’s 25th anniversary as host. One of her sons, Michael, made an appearance, as well as famous friends like David Muir and Jerry O’Connell.
Kelly Ripa Sought Advice From Icon About Retiring
25 years is a long time to stay in one job, especially on television. Kelly Ripa previously spoke out about the possibility of retiring. As her milestone anniversary passed, she shared an update on her future on LIVE.
In an interview with Variety about her anniversary, Kelly Ripa revealed that she sought advice from a talk show icon about retirement. She asked Oprah Winfrey if it was time to retire after 25 years. Oprah Winfrey hosted the most popular talk show for 25 seasons before ending the show in 2011. She went on to create her own network. Oprah Winfrey was also a spokesperson and stakeholder for Weight Watchers until recently.
But it seems she has regrets over ending her talk show after 25 years. According to Kelly Ripa, Oprah Winfrey advised her against retiring. “Let me give Oprah credit. She left her show at the 25-year mark, and I said to her, ‘Should this be my signal?’ She’s like, ‘Don’t leave. Don’t do it. Right now, you’ll regret it,’” Kelly Ripa told Variety.
Oprah Winfrey told Kelly Ripa that the viewers need her on LIVE to escape the “darkness” of the world. While Kelly Ripa doesn’t plan to retire right now, she knows she won’t be on the show forever.
“I always say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We are really having a very good time,” she said about her future plans. Even if she does retire, she hopes LIVE continues on without her. “The show is far more important than any two hosts, so I just want the show to live forever because it’s a really, really great piece of history,” she said about the ABC talk show.
Tell us in the comments if you think it’s time for Kelly Ripa to retire.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
