Ryan Seacrest was missed by Live With Kelly and Ryan fans when he was recently out. But Kelly Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, made it easier on them and he might have won over their hearts for a special gig.
Last week, on February 16, the Riverdale star joined his wife of 25 years on ABC's daytime TV talk show as a guest cohost. Unsurprisingly, when Kelly and Mark walked out on stage hand-in-hand, viewers watching from home were elated to see the couple together. Over the next hour, the two chatted with Olympian snowboarder Shaun White, discussed parents experiencing empty nest syndrome and Mark's listening skills.
The conversation kicked off when Kelly mentioned that when she speaks, Mark only listens for "a limited time." But he rebutted by saying that the random quizzes Kelly gives him prove that sometimes he does listen. "Every now and then, I get the test right and I say 'You said, blah, blah, blah' and she goes 'You're right!'" Mark explained.
Still, Kelly argued that this isn't true every time because she'll purposely say "incredibly non-sensical things" and Mark will agree to them, like the retirement home he wants to eventually be placed in. See the hilarious interaction in the clip above shared by the official Live with Kelly and Ryan Instagram account.
Throughout Mark and Kelly's relationship, fans have loved seeing cute moments between the two. After watching their silly and relatable banter about active listening, many immediately rushed to the comments section to share that they have had this same argument before. One person wrote: "I'M GLAD 😁I’m not alone. I thought this was only in my house." Another added: "Love these two!! This is so me and my husband with the man hearing."
Other fans were just excited to see Mark cohosting with Kelly and lots of folks started advocated for it to be long-term thing. A follower commented: "I listen to them over and over again! It should just be the two of them every day. Don't need guests just them!" A different fan said: "Can't Mark be on permanently? 🤞🤞🤞🤞." Someone else wrote: "Love it when Mark is on with her! Such a great team!"
While there are no rumors about Ryan being replaced anytime soon, Live fans might simply feel a little better knowing Mark is a great option if and when that ever happens. (But it probably won't!) As for Ryan's whereabouts, while Mark kept his seat warm, the cohost was most likely gearing up for American Idol's return!
Katherine Tinsley is a pop culture and beauty-obsessed journalist who has worked with Live the Process, The Knockturnal and Dreamlette covering all things beauty, culture and lifestyle. Her work has allowed her to merge all of these interests into her writing and interview style.
