This Is What Kelly Ripa Is Like Off Air

Kelly Ripa is arguably the queen of daytime TV, reigning supreme since she first debuted on "Live" in 2001 alongside Regis Philbin. For decades, she's been a fixture of many TV watchers' morning routines, a chipper and charming constant in an ever-changing world. While she's without question a very famous, very successful, and very wealthy star, she's managed to keep her feet planted on the ground.

"I'm like any working mom," Ripa told Good Housekeeping in 2010. "When I'm at work, I'm remembering what I forgot to do for the kids, and when I'm with the kids, I'm remembering what I forgot to do at work." A little less than a decade later, she told The Cut that she had a strong appreciation for having older kids because it made her work-life balance more manageable. "There was a 15-year period where I went to work and then I'd head right to my kids' school or a sporting event or made sure I was at the concert," she said.

Needless to say, Ripa doesn't slow down when cameras aren't rolling. Here's what else we know about her life behind the scenes.

While fame and fortune may have a negative impact on some stars' relationships with their family members, Kelly Ripa sure seems to have an unbreakable bond with her parents, Joseph and Esther Ripa. In a 2017 chat with SJ Magazine, Kelly was quick to credit them with shaping her personality. "My mom and dad are the reason I am who I am today," she said. "My parents are very positive people."

By all accounts, it sounds like Kelly's always ready to be there for the people who raised her. On a 2022 episode of "Late Night with Seth Meyers," she shared that she and Mark Consuelos stayed with her parents for a while after her mom underwent heart surgery. "We love, collectively, all of our parents," the TV veteran said. 

It should come as little surprise, then, that Kelly's posted some sweet tributes to her parents on Instagram. In June 2024, the host shared a sweet series of photos in honor of Esther's birthday. "Happy birthday to the sunshine of my life, my mom Essie! She hates to have her picture taken so think of these photos as phenomenas, each and every one!" Kelly wrote. When Joseph's birthday rolled around the following month, Kelly gave him a heartwarming shoutout, too. She shared a Reel featuring photos and videos of her dad and wrote, "The best father, pop-pop, and tie collector! This man has not aged a day in at least 40 years." 

When Ryan Seacrest announced he'd be leaving "Live" in early 2023, it was time for ABC to find its leading lady yet another co-host. Clearly, they did not have to look too far. Kelly Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos began co-hosting "Live" together in April of that year. Consuelos and Ripa were pretty comfortable with sharing the small screen at that point: Consuelos and Ripa not only met way back when they were on "All My Children," but the former had already acted as the latter's guest-host on "Live" a number of times. While some spouses might have a hard time working together, Consuelos and Ripa sure seem to thrive as colleageus.

On the morning chat show, Ripa and Consuelos regularly talk openly and honestly about married life, albeit offering a little too much detail from time to time. While some viewers might think it's all a shtick, they really do seem to be as rock-solid as they present. 

The two, who have been together since 1996, appear to be as head-over-heels now as they were back in their soap opera days. On social media, they regularly share PDA-heavy photos, as well as throwback photographs of their life together. In one series of snaps she posted on Instagram to celebrate their 28th wedding anniversary, Ripa gushed, "Squeezing 28 years into 10 pics is not possible, but you get the idea. Happy anniversary to the love of my life @instasuelos. So grateful to you for all the dreams come true." Aw.

Kelly Ripa's made no secret of her love of fitness, wellness, and self-care. In a 2019 feature for The Cut, the morning show host shared that she's committed to getting her heart's BPMs up on a regular basis. "I was talking to a cardiologist and he said to make sure your heart beats out of your chest every day. The more you exercise, the healthier it is," she said. Ripa said that her workout regimen includes cardio dance classes, SoulCycle, and running. 

The TV star also works with Anna Kaiser, a celebrity personal trainer. In 2024, Kaiser chatted with Hello! magazine about training Ripa, who she described as being an incredibly dedicated client. She told the outlet that the "Live" host exercises almost every day and has never canceled a session. "Even when she travels, she'll do the workouts virtually if she needs to," Kaiser said. "Everyone knows that is her hour, morning or evening, she gets 45 minutes in and that is her time."

If there's one thing we know to be true about Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, it's that they are up for chatting about their active sex life. On a 2022 episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," Ripa admitted that she Consuelos got busy while visiting Andy Cohen's house. On a 2019 episode of "Live," Ripa and Consuelos shared that their daughter has accidentally walked in on them multiple times. Actor John Stamos once even joked on another episode of "Live" that he was sick of hearing about them knocking boots so frequently. So the list goes.

Chatting with Radio Andy's Bruce Bozzi in 2020, Ripa divulged that she believed getting together when they did benefitted them in the bedroom department in the long run. "I think we found each other at the right time in our lives," she said. "We were really pliable to each other. We really learned each other well. With that comes a certain level of comfort and confidence and experimentation and just fun." 

There's no doubt that Ripa can't keep her hands off her husband, even joking about where their kids were conceived while accepting her Disney Legend award in 2024. It seems like Ripa really did find her Prince Charming, and she isn't about to trade him in any time soon.

If you work with someone for a long time, there's a good chance that you'll clash at some point. However, Kelly Ripa seems to have it particularly bad with regard to some of her former coworkers. Though they seemed thick as thieves when they shared the screen on "Live with Regis and Kelly" from 2001 to 2011, Ripa and Regis Philbin's relationship fell apart after he left the series. Seven years after his departure, Philbin went on "Larry King Live" to spill the tea. He told Larry King, "[Ripa] got very offended when I left. She thought I was leaving because of her. I was leaving because I was getting older and it was not right for me anymore." 

Similarly, Ripa also had problems when her next co-host, Michael Strahan, left in 2016. At the time, Ripa claimed she was blindsided by his decision to jump ship for "Good Morning America." Though they managed to come together for Strahan's final shows, they didn't stay close. 

In a 2020 chat with The New York Times, the former NFL player claimed he was treated like Ripa's sidekick, rather than a partner and teammate. Strahan also revealed that while he tried to have regular meetings with Ripa to enhance their show, it didn't work out as planned. "We met a few times, and that was fine," he explained. "But then eventually she said she didn't need to meet. Can't force somebody to do something they don't want to do."

Even a show business veteran like Kelly Ripa can be blindsided by the powers that be. In 2016, Ripa's "Live with Kelly and Michael" co-host Michael Strahan announced he was leaving to join "Good Morning America," another ABC morning show. Ripa wasn't given a heads-up before the announcement was made. To say it made her angry is an understatement. The actor took a week-long absence from "Live" and when she returned, delivered a monologue that made her feelings clear. 

Ripa congratulated Strahan on his new gig and admitted she needed some time away from the show so she could process the news. "[I]t started a greater conversation about communication, consideration and, most importantly, respect in workplace," she stated. "Apologies have been made, and the best thing to come out of all of this is that our parent company has assured me that 'Live' is a priority."

Even though all parties seemed to reach some level of forgiveness, Ripa isn't about to forget how this all played out. "I don't think there was an on-air woman that I didn't hear from ... you'd be amazed how many people don't feel seen or heard at all," she told Variety in 2020. In short, Ripa might love working with ABC, but she isn't the kind of person who will sit idly by when she feels she hasn't been treated with respect, no matter how much it may cost her. 

Since 2001, Kelly Ripa has been on one of the biggest daytime talk shows; you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who didn't recognize her at this point. So, it isn't exactly easy for her to blend in when she's out and about — and that can prove to be a bit of an issue when nature calls. "When [I] go into the restroom, and I will hear, 'That's Kelly Ripa!' Now, I can't go,"  she said on "Live with Kelly and Mark" (via Entertainment Weekly). "Even though I have to go desperately."

While she may not appreciate getting spotted when she's trying to use a public restroom, it sounds like Ripa does enjoy other fan interactions. Back in 2011, for example, she stopped to lean out of her car as she attended the Robin Food Foundation Gala, signing autographs for supporters. When one person said thank you, Ripa brightly replied, "Sure!"

In a Reddit thread titled "Is Kelly Ripa arrogant and unfriendly in person?" one user shared, "My father was a big fan of her before he died. He attended a live show and she was very friendly to him. She acknowledged him and thanked him for the support." In a similar Quora thread, a user pointed out that Ripa was kind to them when he chatted with her at a gala. "I liked her," they explained. "We had a short conversation about what part of New Jersey I was from ... she was always very polite."

Kelly Ripa and Andy Cohen have been friends ever since they met at a Christmas party in the Big Apple back in the day. Over the years, Ripa has appeared on her BFF's show "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" many times, and they have made it clear they're in each other's corner. Ripa's protective nature over her friends was on full display when Cohen was sued by former "Real Housewives of New York City" star Leah McSweeney, who alleged Cohen used drugs while producing the show. 

On a March 2024 episode of the "Let's Talk Off Camera" podcast, Ripa said, "I know him, like, off-camera. I know him privately. We've traveled together. We've gone on vacation together, like, pre-him having kids, you know? I've never seen a drug around him ... I'm so offended by it. I'm so angry over it." It's certainly not the first time Ripa has defended Cohen in public. 

In early 2023, her then "Live with Kelly and Ryan" co-host Ryan Seacrest complained on-air that Cohen seemingly snubbed him during the taping of New Year's celebrations. Evidently, Ripa did not want to see this remark snowball into something it wasn't. Rather, she told Seacrest that Cohen did no such thing. "That's not true. He said he was trying to get your attention," she stated. And that was that.

In 2006, "American Idol" star Clay Aiken guest-hosted "Live" with Kelly Ripa. They seemed to get on swimmingly at first, but things shifted when it was time to interviewe some "Dancing with the Stars" winners. At one point, Aiken exclaimed he couldn't get a word in edgewise and even put his hand over Ripa's mouth. Then, Ripa removed Aiken's hand from her face and reprimanded him. "I just don't know where that's been, honey," she said.

The next day, Rosie O'Donnell stated on "The View" that she found Ripa's behavior to be homophobic. "If that was a straight man, if that was a cute man, if that was a guy that she didn't question his sexuality, she would've said a different thing," she said. Per ABC News, Ripa called into "The View" right then and there to address O'Donnell's remarks. "To imply that it's anything homophobic is outrageous, Rosie, and you know it," she said. 

In the 2019 book "Ladies Who Punch," O'Donnell claimed she and Ripa were still on the outs. "I think Kelly Ripa is mean and she doesn't like me, and she has never wanted to discuss what happened. She wanted to have this weird feud," she said. After the book came out, a source told Us Weekly that O'Donnell reached out to Ripa. "Rosie actually called Kelly to apologize after her remarks, but she has kept up with this alternate reality for public consumption," the insider claimed. Make of it what you will.

At the time of writing, Kelly Ripa reportedly earns $22 million a year thanks to her "Live" hosting gig. That's a serious chunk of money, to say the least. And some of that money goes to important causes.

In 2020, Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos gave $1.5 million to WIN, a NYC-based charity that focuses its efforts on helping women and children. Ripa told People at the time that they wanted to make education accessible during the pandemic: "Learning remotely under the best of circumstances is very challenging. Without proper technology, it is simply impossible."

This is just one example of Ripa's philanthropy over the years. In 2024, Ripa and Consuelos helped to fundraise at the Michigan Medicine Women's Health Luncheon. Their part was crucial, helping attendees and donors part with around $750,000 for the good cause. As well as these honorable pursuits, Ripa has supported the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, UNICEF, and more. 

Michael Consuelos, Lola Consuelos, and Joaquin Consuelos are paving their own ways in the world, and their parents are, of course, happy to see them thrive. However, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos aren't the only ones who are proud of the three kids. As Ripa told People in 2023, "Now our children, who are adults, meet people who will come up to them and say, 'Oh, I've watched you grow up. I'm so proud of you.' And that means something to us."

As much as she loves gushing about their accomplishments and sharing cute anecdotes, Ripa has always done her best to honor her kids' privacy. In a 2024 chat with E! News, Ripa and Mark noted that one doesn't like to be mentioned on the show or on social media, and another will block their mom on Instagram if she dares to leave a comment on their account. So, Ripa does her best not to ruffle feathers.

Ripa's not just supportive when it comes to respecting boundaries. After her eldest, Michael, graduated from college in 2020, she and Mark offered to help him out until work picked back up. "[H]e had a writing job lined up which evaporated because the pandemic shut down the production and it just never came back," Ripa shared on an episode of "Live with Kelly and Ryan." She also noted that they paid for Lola and Joaquin's "core expenses" while they were in school. "But once you graduate, that's over," she added. Not a bad deal.