April 30, 2017
Ever since Regis Philbin stepped away from ABC's "Live" talk show with Kelly Ripa in 2012, the syndicated morning program has been in flux. That's about to change on Monday.
Ripa, a native of Stratford in South Jersey, tweeted Sunday that ABC will reveal the next co-host of "LIVE with Kelly," a spot that has been the subject of speculation in the year since Michael Strahan abruptly announced he was walking away from the gig.
We're going to need a bigger mug. #TuneInToLive #BigAnnouncement #LiveKellyCohost pic.twitter.com/QRKQ9S9NGn
— Kelly Ripa (@KellyRipa) April 30, 2017
Strahan's departure for "Good Morning America" prompted Ripa, 46, to take a much-scrutinized leave of absence from the show and has left the network to rely on a steady stream of guest hosts.
Jimmy Kimmel, Fred Savage and Ryan Seacrest have all periodically filled in with Ripa, while Bucks County native Richard Curtis, who won a contest to appear on the show, twice joined the set with his flashy dance moves.
ABC's selection is still shrouded in mystery. Big names including Rob Lowe, Anderson Cooper and most recently Tamron Hall have all been floated at one point or another.
"To have a stable one-on-one partner every day is so re-assuring," said Ripa. "It's good timing for me, because it's my 21st wedding anniversary, the same day we are announcing our new co-host."
