Over 25 years hosting the “Live” franchise, Kelly Ripa has transformed any early nerves into the confidence that radiates from her today.
In an interview with Variety, Ripa revealed that it took a long time for her to get over her fear of hosting. She said it was almost a decade before she felt comfortable in her own skin.
How Long Did It Take Kelly Ripa to Become Comfortable Hosting ‘Live?’
Kelly Ripa had been in front of the cameras since the age of 20 when she first starred as Hayley Vaughn on the filmed daytime soap opera, “All My Children.” However, live television was a different ballgame that took some time to get used to.
“Maybe the eighth year? It took me a while to not feel terrified,” she admitted. “It really took a long time to get comfortable. What surprised me about Mark [Consuelos, Ripa’s husband] is how comfortable and good at it he was immediately. Where it took me eight years to become comfortable, it took him maybe eight days!”
Ripa said that while an actor on “AMC,” her boss, Angela Shapiro, hinted that she should fill in for an absent Kathie Lee Gifford alongside Regis Philbin. At the time, Ripa was newly pregnant with her daughter, Lola, mother to a toddler, Michael, and was “exhausted.”
However, although a hosting job was not on her “radar,” she accepted the role. The audience response to her role was instant after psychic Char Margolis predicted Ripa was pregnant, outing her on live television before she got a chance to tell her “All My Children” bosses.
“I got a call right away to come back and do it again,” Ripa added. “The rest was history. I think, by December, they were already negotiating my contract. It was very fast. I think I had hosted three times, and then they signed me to a contract.”
Kelly Ripa Reveals The One Celebrity That Made Her Nervous
In the 25 years since Kelly Ripa first began hosting “Live,” she has interviewed thousands of A-list celebrities and those who are just beginning their careers. She maintains her cool around all of them, but there was one celebrity who truly made her nervous.
She told Variety that Madonna changed how she prepared for interviews. Ripa said, “If Madonna comes on, I’m up at night planning how I can try to look cool in front of her. I guess that’s the exception.”
However, she typically doesn’t get rattled by interviews. In fact, she enjoys getting to know more about all people, whether they are famous or not.
“They all get me excited,” Ripa concluded. “The reason I’ve been able to maintain longevity in this job is because I assume the role of the person at home that is excited. I’ve always been curious about people. And I don’t care if it’s the flight attendant on the plane or the person that I just met in line at Starbucks. I want to know the origin story of the person — no matter who it is.”
Kelly Ripa hosts “Live With Kelly and Mark” alongside her husband, Mark Consuelos. The series airs in syndication.
