The Most Awkward Kelly Ripa Moments Caught On Camera

Kelly Ripa has been a staple on American TV for decades, but despite being a pro talk show host, she's no stranger to her fair share of blunders. Considering how long she's been on live TV (she first started on "Live" back in 2001 with Regis Philbin) it's only natural that Ripa has had her fair share of awkward on-camera moments. After all, things often go wrong under the bright lights in a TV studio, but what do you do when millions of people across the country are watching it unfold in real time? 

The answer is simple: You continue with the show — and hope the moment wasn't as big of a deal as it seemed. Unfortunately for Ripa, her hosting fame reached its peak just as YouTube was finding its footing on the internet, meaning that many clips still live on, thanks to those savvy enough to upload them. Ripa is not considered one of the more problematic morning show stars (we're looking at you, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes), and as such, her eyebrow-raising moments haven't been enough to see her lose her job. Nevertheless, her clash with Clay Aiken in the 2000s certainly ruffled feathers, and her comments at a Disney award show definitely weren't Mickey Mouse-approved. Let's take a look. 

There was a time in the 2010s when Kelly Ripa and her co-host Michael Strahan greeted us every morning. Their chemistry was undeniable and was reflected in the viewing figures when the former athlete took over from Regis Philbin when he retired. In fact, "Live" had its best season premiere week in some six years. Although the dynamic duo would go on to spearhead the show together for years, it didn't always go off without a hitch, especially when Strahan announced his departure in 2016. During one of his final episodes, Ripa appeared to make a gibe at her co-host. 

"There's a great article in the paper and I want to get your take on it because I don't have a take on it," Ripa said, talking directly to Strahan. "But I want yours. So you've gotten divorced ..." Immediately, Strahan turned to the camera with a look of shock plastered on his face. 

It's no secret that the NFL player went through a contentious split with his second ex-wife that cost him around $15 million. Needless to say, it may not be something that Strahan wanted to bring up on live television. As Ripa continued to babble on to the audience, Strahan shook his head in disbelief, seemingly annoyed it was being brought up. 

One of Kelly Ripa's most controversial and cringeworthy moments can be traced back to 2006 when "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken stepped in for Regis Philbin to co-host "Live." Aiken may have seemed like a safe bet to producers. After all, he was well-versed in live television and audiences loved him, but little did Aiken know that one simple gesture would make Ripa an enemy. Everything went swimmingly until the pair interviewed "Dancing with the Stars" champion Emmitt Smith and his partner. As Ripa asked the guest a question, Aiken seemed agitated that he wasn't getting the chance to speak and took matters into his own hands ... literally.

His solution was to place a hand over Ripa's mouth so he could get a word in. Ripa's face immediately changed as she yanked Aiken's hand away. To a chorus of awkward laughter from the audience, Ripa quietly said, "Oh, that's a no-no." Clearly vexed, Ripa had no choice but to laugh it off at the time, saying, "I don't know where that hand has been, honey." Aiken quickly realized he overstepped the line, saying, "Oh, I'm in trouble." Aiken dejectedly rested his head on his hand, but of course the show must go on. The hosts proceeded with their interview, with Ripa spurring him on to ask his question. 

Regardless, the moment didn't go unnoticed by the press or even "The View." Rosie O'Donnell, who was a host on the show at the time, felt Ripa's disgust came down to homophobia — which Ripa strongly denied.

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos' marriage has been solid as a rock since they tied the knot in 1996. Considering just how dedicated they are to one another, fans were elated when Consuelos became Ripa's new co-host after Ryan Seacrest left "Live" in 2023. Prior to his official employment, Consuelos was a guest host on several occasions. Some stars may dread the thought of doing live television with their spouses, but Ripa and Consuelos made it work. In fact, they often talk about their relationship on camera, though perhaps they give a little too much detail. Some things are just better left unsaid, like discussing your daughter walking in on you during an intimate moment. 

During one 2019 appearance, Conseulos turned to his wife and said, "Well, we started [Lola's] day off pretty bad yesterday." Ripa looked down in embarrassment, before agreeing it was an awful moment. 

Consuelos went on to reveal that their daughter opened the door to find them in a compromising position, but that wasn't the worst part. Ripa was taken aback by the conversation, explaining that she wasn't even "in the mood," which prompted her husband to admit that he could tell because she was going through the motions. Ouch. Whether they planned to tell the story before sitting behind the desk makes no difference — this isn't one we're forgetting in a hurry! 

Kelly Ripa and Regis Philbin seemed like a match made in morning TV heaven, with the pair happily co-hosting "Live" for a decade before Philbin retired. Although their relationship somewhat soured after Philbin's departure, fans still have tons of interesting moments to look back on — including this one. Ripa had a lot to tell Philbin about her stand-in co-host, Clay Aiken. Picking up her coffee, Ripa said, "I missed the heck out of you on Friday." When Philbin asked what happened, Ripa was quick to spill the beans.

Ripa's fury came on the back of Aiken putting his hand over her mouth while they were interviewing guests from "Dancing with the Stars." Ripa let Philbin know exactly what she thought of the popstar. Despite Philbin claiming Aiken was very popular and a well-mannered country boy, Ripa raised her eyebrows and had to disagree. "I feel like there was a lot of hostility directed at [me]," Ripa began, before Philbin interjected to state Aiken's case, saying that perhaps nerves got the better of him. 

Ripa wasn't having any of it and revealed that she had received a phone call from Howard Stern who agreed Aiken's behavior was inappropriate and denoted a lack of respect. For his part, Aiken was still sore about it two years later and threatened to walk out of a Newsweek interview when asked about the situation. 

There's a lot that goes into making live TV, and a lot that can go wrong as a consequence. For example, hosts have to wear microphones that are typically unobtrusive and small, so as not to draw the eye of the viewer. Kelly Ripa is no stranger to the art of wearing a mic, but she also knows how tricky wearing one can be, especially if you're a woman. During an episode of "Live with Kelly and Mark" everything appeared to be going smoothly until Ripa experienced somewhat of a wardrobe malfunction. 

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Oops! #KellyRipa needs a re-do after her mic slips down her dress right by her "bosom" on "Live With Kelly and Mark."

♬ original sound – Pagesix | Celebrity Gossip

Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, was chatting to the camera when she began to get distracted, feeling around her torso. "Oh, look at this," she said, deviating from the script as she felt a lump in her dress. "Look what I found. My microphone's down here, by my bosom." 

Ripa made a show of feeding the mic up underneath the material, clipping it back to where it should be on the neck of her dress as Consuelos laughed along beside her. While the crisis was averted, it did mean that the sound wasn't correct for the opening of the show, and having to fix something so intimately technical during a live broadcast isn't on anyone's bucket list. 

Kelly Ripa's journey from soap opera darling to talk show royalty has been impressive to watch, but it hasn't always been easy for her. Since joining "Live" in 2001, Ripa has seen many of her co-hosts come and go. Most famously, Ripa was allegedly blindsided when Michael Strahan announced he was leaving the show in 2016 to join "Good Morning America." According to Ripa, she found out at the same time as the rest of the world, meaning she had no time to prepare. As a result, she didn't appear on "Live" for a week — and when she did, she had a few choice things to say. 

Ripa addressed her absence with an opening monologue, but it was clear that she was laying down the law. As the audience cheered for her, she put her hands up and tried to silence them. When she eventually succeeded, she took aim at producers. "I really needed a couple of days to gather my thoughts," she revealed. "After 26 years with this company, I've earned the right." She went on to say that the experience "started a much greater conversation about communication and consideration and most importantly, respect in the workplace." 

According to Ripa, she received apologies and the show was able to continue as normal. However, as if the speech wasn't awkward enough, Strahan then spent precious seconds praising his co-host to the hilt. When he called her the queen of morning TV, Ripa was quick to rebuff him and tell him Oprah Winfrey was the GOAT. 

Celebs know what it's like to make the headlines for stating their opinion, and Kelly Ripa is no different. Ripa has made it clear over the years that she thinks the reality TV show franchise "The Bachelor" is problematic, ranting in 2019 to her then co-host Ryan Seacrest, "We are too special to be arguing over a guy. ... Having said that, all you women watch that gross, gross show" (via Oprah Daily). If you thought Ripa's hot take would've died down at some point, you were sadly mistaken.

In 2024, "The Bachelorette" star Jenn Tran appeared on "Live with Kelly and Mark." To be fair to Ripa, she stood true to her ground and didn't back down, but it made for some seriously nail-biting viewing as Tran was subjected to Ripa's tirade. "Why, why, why?" Ripa enthused. "You could meet anyone anywhere at any time." Tran was quick to defend herself, asking if dating apps were really any different. Ripa shrugged off the response and began reeling off real-life scenarios in which someone might meet a potential love match. Not to be beaten, Tran coyly asked, "Where did you meet your husband?" 

Ripa incredulously replied, "I met my husband at work." However, Tran pointed out that it was still technically on TV. The veteran host swiftly shut down this interpretation, but the tense interaction was enough for other "Bachelor" franchise stars to get involved. Former participants Ashley Iaconetti and Ben Higgins called out Ripa on her "Almost Famous" podcast, with Iaconetti pointing out that the TV host's take on the show is offensive to people who've fallen in love on it.

While hosting an episode of "Live" with Ryan Seacrest, Kelly Ripa suddenly stopped mid-conversation, her hand going to the bottom of her low-cut neckline as she began to trace along her bra, pulling at it underneath the fabric. Though she tried to carry on talking, Seacrest soon became aware of the situation as Ripa started audibly readjusting. 

"Sorry," she apologized to the audience. "It just fell out of the bottom." Seacrest looked off to the side shaking his head while Ripa directly addressed the camera: "Women over 45: Gravity wants to suck every part of you into the center of the earth. Just remember that." Ripa picked up her coffee as Seacrest began to chime in, still averting his gaze from his co-host as he asked the audience what the best thing to do in that situation. Should he have piped up and acknowledged it or just pretended it didn't happen? 

While Ripa's embarrassing admission was enough to raise eyebrows, Seacrest's reaction was just as awkward. It just goes to show, you never know when your underwear will turn against you!

Many former Disney stars know what it's like to adhere to the House of Mouse's strict rules, but Kelly Ripa falls into a slightly different category. Though she is technically a Disney star, having worked on "All My Children" and "Live" (both owned by the gargantuan network). she isn't in the same boat as some others, like Miley Cyrus, for example. Ripa can say what she wants when she wants — even at a Disney award ceremony, apparently.

In 2024, Ripa was honored with Disney Legend status at the ceremony, with none other than her former co-host Ryan Seacrest presenting her with the award. Some may have kept it clean considering they were talking at a Disney event, but not Ripa. The star took it upon herself to reveal some NSFW details about her relationship with her husband Mark Consuelos. "I owe everything to this company," she told the audience from the stage. "Not only my career but my entire immediate family. I met my smokin' hot husband ... on the set of "All My Children" 30 years ago, and from there we made our own children right backstage in the Disney labs." 

Ripa went on to deliver a string of jokes regarding stars fornicating in their dressing rooms, eliciting laughs from the audience. Whether she'll be invited back might be up for debate, however.

We all love a good sexual innuendo, but sometimes things can go a little bit too far — especially in a supposedly family-friendly cooking segment. Back in 2012, Ripa filmed an on-location special at the Disney resort Aulani in Hawaii as part of a competition week. One of the days saw her attempt to cook in high winds as she battled with her purple dress alongside a chef and supporting host. Besides the dress threatening to show more of Ripa than audiences wanted to see, she proceeded to unsettle viewers by making sexual jokes. 

"We use two fingers," says the chef, before Ripa states, "You want me to put two fingers in there?" She repeats the phrase "two fingers" before putting it into her mouth. Though it may not be the most embarrassing of Ripa's on-screen moments, it's certainly not the most PG either. Some may argue that the schtick is outdated and unnecessary, but then again, it was 2012!