Mark Consuelos says he and Kelly Ripa were apprehensive about hosting 'Live with Kelly and Mark' after Ryan Seacrest left 

During a recent appearance on the Let's Talk Off Camera podcast, Mark Consuelos revealed that he and Kelly Ripa initially resisted the idea of co-hosting Live with Kelly and Mark after Ryan Seacrest's exit in early 2023. On the podcast, Mark revealed his reaction when the idea of co-hosting originally came to them.

"So, when they asked me, we both said, 'No, this is insane. We can't do this. I'm like, 'No you know, no. The answer was no, but we'll talk about it, but just kind of try to get them off our back a little bit," he said.

Mark and Kelly first met in 1995 during a screen test for All My Children. Less than a year after their first encounter, the couple eloped to Las Vegas and tied the knot in 1996. They now share three children together.

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"You made a pros and cons list" - Kelly Ripa on her and Mark Consuelos's decision about co-hosting

While Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa initially resisted the idea of co-hosting, Mark revealed one of the key factors to agreeing was his hectic schedule while working on Riverdale. While Mark played the role of Hiram Lodge in Riverdale, he had to be in different countries and on a flight every week.

He recalled this schedule pulled him away from wife Ripa.

"I was kind of tired of living by myself. I don't sleep well when I'm away from you. I literally don't sleep."

Mark also said the thought of seeing his wife on set every day motivated him to board the show full-time. Kelly added:

"You made a pros and cons list."

To which Mark replied:

"The cons were stuff that just wasn't gonna happen. I know one of the cons, you said, 'Well, what if you never get to act again?' and I said, 'I know me and you can't tell me I'm never gonna do anything again."

Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa relationship explored

Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa first met during a screen test for All My Children in 1995. During an appearance on Lunch with Bruce in 2018, Ripa revealed the casting director showed her a picture of Mark before they met and she was impressed.

"When I saw him, the photograph of him, I saw my entire future with him flash before (my eyes) - like I saw it. And I don't bellieve in any of that and now I do because of that moment."

In 2018, he told Huffpost Live, he had no idea of having a chance with Ripa:

"I thought she was adorable, hot and se** and all that stuff, but I was very focused - I didn't really think I had a chance with her, so I wasn't really focused on that."

After a few months of dating the couple made their public debut on the red carpet at the Soap Opera Digest Awards. However, the couple briefly broke up but married in Las Vegas in the very next week.

In an episode of Comments by Celebs podcast, Ripa said:

"Right before we got married, we broke up. We broke up and we got back together the day before we went off and eloped. Yeah, we eloped. We went to Vegas and got married."

In 1997, the two welcomed their first child together, their second child in 2001, and a third child in 2003. Mark Consuelos made his Live with Mark and Kelly debut in April, 2023.