Where in the world was Ryan Seacrest? Fans were beginning to wonder where the beloved
TV host went after he neglected to show up on Live with Kelly and Ryan all this week.
The American Idol alum isn't missing, of course. He returned to the show on December 18th,
decked out in several dazzling Christmas sweaters. He was also popping up regularly on Instagram,
and it looks like he's as anxious for 2021 to come as we are. He's posting pictures of
New Years' fireworks already. But despite his Instagram presence, it's unclear where
Seacrest was and what he was doing to keep him from his regular day job. Bravo head honcho
Andy Cohen took over on Monday and Tuesday, while Anderson Cooper tackled Wednesday and
Thursday. Thursday's absence meant that Seacrest missed out on the show's almost-a-Christmas
party.
"This is our Christmas party this year. Isn't this terrible?"
A recent behind-the-scenes clip, shared to the show's official Instagram page, showed
host Kelly Ripa walking to set with Cooper, with the accompanying caption:
"We're live now with guest cohost @andersoncooper!"
Plenty of fans were excited to see Cooper on the show, with many flocking to the comments
to express their adoration for him. One noted, quote, "please have him on more often" but
was quick to add, "btw I like Ryan too."
"Mm? Exactly. What? How could this be? There's a whole evolution going on in my mouth."
Absences on the show do occur occasionally, of course. Ripa herself was absent on December
3, because her husband, Mark Consuelos, had just returned home from Vancouver after wrapping
on Riverdale. She was replaced by Tamron Hall that day.
However, neither of the show's hosts are usually missing for such an extended period of time.
One question on many fans' minds is whether Ryan Seacrest is secretly getting ready to
move on from the show. And with each day that passed without his return, those worries grew.
Could changes be brewing? The talk show host could simply be busy filming American Idol,
or taking a break. The TV host's social media suggests he's working. A recent Instagram
post seemingly featured the Idol logo in the background.
Then there's Seacrest's Twitter. A tweet from December 15 suggests that Seacrest is busy
preparing for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest, a program set to go
live on December 31, at 8 p.m. Eastern. While it's Seacrest's 16th year hosting the show,
this year Jennifer Lopez is coming. And if JLo's about to knock on your door, you better
be ready.
"Are you going to be home watching? I'm going to be home 'watching.' Like it'll be in the
background for sure. By the way, it doesn't ma- Put it on. Turn it on. Put it in the background."
Fans looking for Seacrest on Live with Kelly and Ryan quickly began posting comments on
Seacrest's Instagram account. One worried fan wrote:
"Missed you today! You're the best person for Kelly next to Mark of course."
Another fan posted:
"Didn't see you on the morning show. I hope you're okay. Missed you !!!"
Other Seacrest followers took to Twitter, concerned about how "tired" he looks. It's
hard not to panic, of course, but until he leaves officially, there's no reason to believe
Seacrest won't continue to co-host Live.
Because, while it's clear that Kelly Ripa and Anderson Cooper are close, Kelly Ripa
and Ryan Seacrest are, too. They're such good friends, in fact, that in February 2020, Ripa
announced that ABC had green-lighted a pilot based on their relationship, titled Work Wife.
In an interview with ET in mid-November this year, Ripa said of her co-host:
"Working with your friend is a great privilege. It is a joy, and I have to say that it is
a rare thing to work with a guy who is so authentic and fun and joyful and humble and
generous and kind to everyone. It's a weird codependency. We're happy to have our psychiatric
episodes unfold before everyone on live TV."
That's sweet, and it also means that at least as of a month ago, Ripa didn't seem to be
planning on Seacrest going anywhere. And although he didn't give an explicit reason for his
absence, it was nice to have him back on December 18th.
"The truth is? We live here."
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