Queen of the daytime talk show circuit, Kelly Ripa automatically feels like your BFF.
And her sense of humor is positively infectious.
So how does this mother, host, and one-of-a-kind entertainer really do it all?
Let's take a look at Ripa's ever-stunning transformation throughout the years.
Mama's girl
A New Jersey native, Ripa headed to New York City in her teens.
When discussing her childhood, Ripa has always been open about her strong relationship with
her mother, sharing in the book, I Love You, Mom!,
"Growing up, I knew that I could count on your help for any obstacle that I faced.
I could depend on you to drop off my homework at school when I left it at home, drive me
around to all of my activities, or even tell me my hair looked great when it was sprayed
and teased to at least five feet in the air!"
And although Ripa's mom initially had reservations about her daughter's acting goals, she supported
her.
Ripa told Elle,
"She worried that I'd either get my heart broken or live under a bridge."
Big break
In 1990, Ripa landed the role of Hayley on All My Children.
Just 20 years old at the time, Ripa later told Redbook,
"There was never any clear-cut path.
And anytime I tried to have a clear-cut path, that's usually when I would be disappointed."
"It's really 90 percent luck, 5 percent opportunity, and 5 percent skill."
But after working on the soap for more than a decade, Ripa was ready for a change.
She said,
"When the opportunity came to host Live, a lot of my friends said, 'You're not a talk-show
host, you're an actor — if you go on talk shows that will be the end of your acting
career.'
But after I took the talk show, I was offered the sitcom [Hope & Faith] and lots of other
acting jobs…
You just have to take a leap."
Fate
Ripa met future hubby Mark Consuelos on the set of All My Children, and it was love at
first sight.
She told Redbook,
"When I met Mark, I was just sort of thunderstruck.
I had a dream about him that night.
The next day I went up to him and, although I didn't even know his name, I said, 'I had
a dream about you last night.
We were married and had a little girl and were on a plane to Rome.'
And he was like, 'Oh, really?' and walked away and probably thought about filing a restraining
order."
But clearly, 24-year-old Ripa didn't scare Consuelos away.
The couple eloped in Vegas in 1996, after dating for just a year.
And in 2017, 21 years later, they're still happily married.
Predicting the future
Ripa's biggest role came in 2001 when the 31-year-old auditioned to be one of the new
hosts on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.
And her audition did not disappoint.
After a guest psychic predicted Ripa's pregnancy on the show, and Ripa exclaimed "I haven't
told my boss yet!", she landed the gig.
Executive producer for the show, Michael Gelman, remembered her audition in The Washington
Post, saying, "It was just such a real moment that it showed Kelly in a light for really
who she was…She had that much honesty she couldn't not react."
Family first
With three kids, Ripa has been open about motherhood and her day-to-day life.
And once the 32-year-old left All My Children in 2002, she devoted that time to her family.
She told Good Housekeeping,
"I feel great not having to go [to set] after I work in the morning."
"For the first time in 13 years, I can have lunch with my husband at a restaurant.
I had no idea that there was this whole world of people out there eating in restaurants
in the middle of the day."
Finding her cool
Although she may appear to be the very essence of "cool" on her show, Ripa hasn't always
felt that way about herself in the past.
She shared with Elle,
"No matter how much I try to cool myself up, I'm really dorky.
I think that's why people get me."
But she's also the first to tell you how cool she wants to be, saying,
"No matter how much I try to cool myself up, it's never going to happen for me.
But, like, am I dying to be cool?
Yes, I'm dying to be."
Fit life
It's easy to see that Ripa's clearly fit.
So how does the host look good, feel good, and keep a fitness regimen while at the same
time having the busiest schedule possible?
She keeps moving.
She told Shape,
"If you're housebound and you're not feeling so good about yourself, just try walking around
your living room…Or do five jumping jacks.
It'll get your heart beating, you might feel energized, and you'll realize, you could probably
do five more."
Her other tricks?
SoulCycle is one, as well as yoga.
She said,
"If I only have fifteen minutes in the morning, I'll just do some yoga or some deep breathing…
For me, it's more the mental aspect than fitness."
Standing up
2016 saw new conflict for the 45-year-old when her current co-host on her talk show,
Michael Strahan, announced he was leaving the show for a spot on Good Morning America.
The news caught Ripa by surprise, and she felt the sting.
She later opened up to People about the situation, saying,
"I think that all people are deserving of fair treatment in the workplace.
People deserve respect."
"When you're dealing with big business, it's easy to forget that you're dealing with people
and that people have feelings."
She continued, saying,
"We're excited for Michael…I think it is a perfect match, I really do…However, what
nobody considered is there's a whole other group of people that it really impacts, because
we have to now find another great person [to co-host]."
#1 Mom
Always a mom first, Ripa has maintained laser-focus on her family.
She reminisced about the early days of parenting with Good Housekeeping, saying,
"Appreciate every second, even when you're exhausted.
I remember when Michael was 14 weeks old and I was thinking, I can't wait until he's 14
so I can sleep through the night.
You don't sleep through the night when they're 14.
You stay awake for other reasons.
The worries become so much more significant and bigger."
And Ripa's investment in her children translates directly to her show.
"Here we go!
I want you kids to know that I've always loved you.
I've always loved you."
The first 15 minutes on Live are dedicated to the hosts telling stories about their personal
lives — and many of Ripa's include her family.
What's next?
As Elle reports, Ripa and her husband have founded a production company that has developed
both scripted and reality show projects.
So yeah, she's just casually producing new content, being a devoted mother, and hosting
a live TV show every single day, like she was born to do it.
When asked by the magazine about her future, Ripa said,
"I've never really planned my career, and it's led me to where I am now."
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