Like Ginger Rogers dancing backwards and in heels, Kelly Ripa makes co-hosting one of the most popular daytime talk shows on TV look effortless. But let’s be clear: it’s not. When I’ve filled in as her co-host it’s taken me days to come up with enough material for one 15-minute opening chat segment. Kelly has been nailing those day after day, month after month, for almost 24 years now, regaling us with entertaining stories, making us laugh, and sharing the ups and downs of her public and private life. Doing that on live television—without a script—takes remarkable talent, not to mention guts, grit, hard work, and heart.
Kelly is impossibly self-deprecating and would never admit it, but she is one of the greatest broadcasters in television history, and she continues to reach new heights. She wrote a best-selling memoir, started a popular podcast, and welcomed a new co-host, her husband of nearly 28 years, Mark Consuelos. Would audiences want to watch a happily married couple who’ve raised three genuinely good kids? Yes. The ratings are up, and Kelly has never been better.
Cooper is an Emmy-winning news anchor
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