Kelly Ripa Was Missing from ‘Live’ Leaving Ryan Seacrest with a New Co-Host Last Week

Published Jan 4, 2021

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1:53pm

Kelly Ripa made sure to take one last day off from Live with Kelly and Ryan before the start of the new year. Last Monday, the 50-year-old television personality was absent from the morning show, leaving her co-host, Ryan Seacrest, with a special guest co-host: Ali Wentworth.

Live producers broke the news that the actress/comedian was sitting in for the All My Children alum with a behind-the-scenes clip on Instagram. In the video, we see Wentworth (with a massive smile on her face) and Seacrest making their way from their dressing rooms to the stage. “Tune in now for guest cohost @therealaliwentworth!” the caption read.

During the show, the hosting duo got a chance to speak with actor Billy Porter about ringing in the new year at New Year's Rockin’ Eve. Lucky for us, producers shared a video from that segment as well.

And while we missed seeing Ripa on our TV screens, we actually really enjoyed 55-year-old Wentworth’s presence. In fact, many followers even voiced their appreciation in the comments section on Instagram. One user wrote, “Good morning Ryan Seacrest. Ali Wentworth is a great fill-in for Kelly Ripa. Fun show this Monday,” while another added, “Great show! Ali is so entertaining.”

This is the second time Ripa has been MIA from Live over the last few months. And while we’re not exactly sure why she was missing from Monday’s episode, we imagine she was taking a well-deserved vacation and spending some time with her hubby, Mark Consuelos, and their three kids.

Happy New Year, Live team! We can’t wait to see what 2021 has in store for the show.

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