Ryan Seacrest at the Oscars [ABC]
Last week, rumors broke that Ryan Seacrest would be permanently joining “LIVE” as Kelly Ripa’s co-host.
Monday, the ABC Television Group officially confirmed the news. As of today, the show will be known as “LIVE With Kelly & Ryan.”
“Ryan is a quintessential broadcaster and at the top of his game,” said Ripa. “I am thrilled to start my mornings with him every day, and we are so fortunate at ‘Live’ to have him join the family.” She added, “Ryan is a close friend and his star shines as brightly off camera as it does on. His tremendous success is only matched by his impeccable reputation. Plainly said, everyone loves him, and so will our daily viewers.”
“Not only is Kelly Ripa one of the most talented live hosts in broadcast TV, she’s also become a very dear friend to me over the years,” added Seacrest. “It’s consistently been my privilege and pleasure to work alongside Kelly with all her incredible talents, charm and humor – whether hosting the Disney Christmas Day Parade special with her a decade ago or guest co-hosting alongside her on ‘Live,’ it’s always just been easy and fun to share a set with her, and we have a blast.”
Ripa has been featuring temporary co-hosts since Michael Strahan’s departure from the show last spring.
TV provider listings had been advertising Chris Pratt for Monday’s episode, but the official “LIVE” website no longer confirms any interview guests. It is unclear if plans for interviews were put on hold to make way for the Ryan Seacrest announcement.