Controversial Kelly Ripa Moments We Can't Forget About

Kelly Ripa has been a TV personality for over three decades, getting her career started on the show "All My Children" and ultimately hosting "Live!" with a handful of different co-hosts. Her time in the spotlight has led to several controversial moments, creating beef with coworkers and lighting a fire under fans when her comments were ill-received. We still can't forget about some of the most interesting controversies, especially with many of the best ones happening in recent memory.

Ripa's comments, or lack thereof, became one of her biggest controversies. When she released her book "Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories," she detailed parts of her life and career, including her relationship with former co-worker Regis Philbin. It's important to note that Philbin was a rather beloved person in the industry, with many of his co-workers and interviewees having nothing but glowing words for him. The late TV personality worked with Ripa on "Live! With Regis and Kelly" for a decade. But inside the workplace, Ripa and Philbin allegedly had issues.

Ripa earned the ire of fans when comments from her book seemingly disrespected Philbin. She wrote that she wasn't given the same benefits as the men she worked with on "Live!" and that her name had to be smaller than Philbin's on the title card and branding for the show. The book describes a complicated relationship on set, though it does also say that Ripa and Philbin had a good relationship when the cameras weren't rolling. But readers who had focused in on the negative comments got even more evidence of a rift between the two when Ripa didn't mention Philbin in her acceptance speech for the Disney Legend Award. Overall, Ripa's comments, and not thanking him in her acceptance speech, became a major controversy for viewers of the show.

Regis Philbin wasn't the only co-worker that Kelly Ripa had issues with. After Philbin retired from "Live!" In 2011, Ripa shared the show with co-host Michael Strahan. They worked together for four years, but he was surprisingly absent from Ripa's memoir. Strahan opened up about tensions on the show in 2020. In an interview with The New York Times Magazine, he said, "On television, I've had jobs where I got there and felt like: 'Wow, I didn't know I was supposed to be a sidekick. I thought I was coming here to be a partner," obviously referring to his time on "Live!" With Ripa.

While their relationship was allegedly strained throughout their four-year partnership, it appeared to be okay until Strahan's departure from the show in 2016. Ripa apparently felt blindsided by Strahan taking a job with "Good Morning America," and after a brief hiatus from the show, threw some shady comments his way. The real controversy of the situation was that each had supporters who took a side and vehemently defended their perspective, which was probably great for ratings. But her comments were definitely one of the most awkward Kelly Ripa moments we can think of.

Kelly Ripa remains the host of the "Live!" broadcast, but she now hosts it alongside her husband, Mark Consuelos. The couple has received mixed reviews from viewers, earning backlash for several decisions on the show. Fans blasted the program for using pre-recorded episodes in 2024. January 2, 2024, was when it began, with the show flashing a banner telling viewers the episode was previously recorded. The couple had shot quite a few episodes before the year changed, and fans did not appreciate it. Some called it lazy, while others called out the multiple occasions the couple has used pre-recorded shows and the irony of the show being titled "Live."

This wasn't the only time the two have created controversy in their relatively short time hosting together. Ripa and Consuelos are known for their inappropriate confessions about their lives on-air, and the second episode of "Live! with Kelly and Mark" left viewers feeling uncomfortable with how much the two shared about their personal lives. Complaints about how much time they spent talking about Consuelos' snoring, their walks in the park, and how uninteresting the show had become were blasted all over X, formerly known as Twitter.

Kelly Ripa once again stirred up the Twitterverse when she went on a June episode of "Live!" to talk about going to bed with wet hair. Ripa's opinions came off very strong, telling the audience that it's "SO bad" to do. She did admit that every now and then she still does it, but explained to the audience all of the issues that wet hair can create, even suggesting that viewers use hair oil for healthier hair.

Online, debates raged over the comments. While some fans absolutely agreed with Ripa's remarks and backed her up, others claimed to have gone to bed with wet hair for years with no problems. Hairstylist and "Queer Eye" star Jonathan Van Ness was a guest later on the show and chimed in by saying, "You guys, I think the rumors are true," (via Good Housekeeping). "I think it's not good. It'd be like sleeping with a wet rat on your face every night." At least this controversy was harmless outside of some online arguments.

Kelly Ripa is known for a, let's just say, restrictive diet. In 2020, she sat down to do a "what I eat in a day" video with Harper's Bazaar that has since been deleted. Thankfully, a TikTok user found the footage and shared it for all to see. The controversy of her diet for most fans was how little Ripa seemed to eat and the fact that her meals are always the same. To simplify the diet, Ripa essentially has a glass of water, vitamins, coffee, and green powders in the morning. An apple with almond butter and a salad of microgreens and avocado is served up for lunch, while a smaller version of that lunch salad, tofu or another non-meat protein, and vegetables are for dinner. A handful of nuts serve as her snacks, and she has a dedicated workout routine seven days a week.

Fans had strong reactions to her diet when it was published, with some commenting on how listening to Ripa talk about her restrictive eating habits was making them feel hungry. Others joked about the junk food they were noshing on while watching the video. Ripa stated that she changes the food in her meal plan each year, but once she settles on the menu, she eats that every day for 365 days. Diets like this are fairly common in Hollywood, so while this revelation didn't come as a surprise, it did stir up a bit of backlash from fans.

Kelly Ripa has been critical of "The Bachelor" TV franchise for quite a long time. So, her July 2024 interview with "The Bachelorette" lead Jenn Tran came as a bit of a surprise. Of course, Ripa ended up being blasted online after the interview, sparking a new argument between her and former participant Ashley Iaconetti. On the "Almost Famous" podcast, Iaconetti said of the questions directed towards Tran, "It's just a little offensive to us who have found love [on the show]." But what did Ripa actually say that could have been so offensive?

Ripa asked Tran what would make her want to be on the show in the first place. Many felt that this was indicative of her previous comments about the manufactured feel of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette." Tran quickly flipped the question on Ripa, pointing out that Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos met while the two were filming "All My Children." This led to an awkward exchange, with Ripa defending the differences in the shows and questioning if "The Bachelor" participants were acting the whole time. Entertaining television to be sure, but highly controversial in the eyes of fans and former participants.