Kelly Ripa Shares Advice From Oprah Winfrey on Eventually Leaving Live

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Kelly Ripa didn’t get a car from Oprah Winfrey, but Oprah did give her some really helpful career advice.

Oh my gosh, you won’t believe what Kelly said! She was wondering if, after 25 amazing years, it was finally time to say goodbye to the show, and she shared the incredible advice someone gave her. I’m seriously obsessed with hearing behind-the-scenes stuff like this – it’s like getting a peek into her brain! It just makes me love the show even more, knowing she’s thinking about how to keep it going, but also being real about its future. I need to know everything!

Kelly recently told Variety that Oprah gave her some valuable advice. Kelly was considering ending her own show after 25 years, and asked Oprah if that should be a cue to stop. Oprah advised against it, telling Kelly she would likely regret leaving at that time.

The 55-year-old explained that she was told, “Having you and Mark together creates a really special connection that people need, especially with everything going on in the world and the constant stream of negative news.”

Kelly Ripa first began co-hosting Live in 2001 with Regis Philbin. After Philbin left in 2011, she co-hosted with Michael Strahan from 2012 to 2016 and then with Ryan Seacrest from 2017 to 2023. In April 2023, her husband, Mark Consuelos, officially became her permanent co-host after frequently appearing as a guest host over the years.

Kelly shared that, following advice from Oprah, she’s been thinking about when she’ll retire from her talk show, but she isn’t planning to do so today.

She joked that she needed to ask her friend, ‘You told me not to leave at 25, but which year did you mean? What timeline are we looking at? Give me some idea of how much longer I should stay.’ But she added that everything was going so well, there was no need to change anything, saying, ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.’

The former All My Children star hopes the show continues for as long as traditional television exists. They believe the show itself is more valuable than any individual hosts and want it to endure as an important part of television history. They also see it as a source of safe, family-friendly entertainment.

It’s understandable why Kelly would be drawn to a family-friendly program. She and Mark have three children – Michael, 28, Joaquin, 22, and Lola, 24 – and their kids frequently appear on the talk show.

Michael recently surprised everyone by appearing on the February 20th episode, celebrating Kelly’s 25 years with the show. He brought her flowers and then shared some of his cherished memories from over the years.

Honestly, there have been so many amazing moments, but one really stands out to me. It was that swamp tour in Louisiana – the one where Michael actually threw a snake at me! It sounds crazy, but it was genuinely awesome. I’ll never forget it.

Even though Lola lives in London and Joaquin is busy preparing for his first Broadway show in Death of a Salesman, both kids sent video messages for their mom, which were played during the episode.

In a recorded message, Lola told him how proud she was of the life he’d built, not just for himself, but for Michael, Quino, and their dad too. She said they all owed him everything and believed many others would agree that his daily presence brought a lot of happiness to the world.

Joaquin sweetly added, “Love you, proud of you. Here’s to 25 more.”

For a look back on Kelly and Mark’s life with their family, keep reading…

For the first time in two decades, with her children all grown and no longer needing to be taken to school, Kelly decided to revisit a cherished memory from 2008 to fill the empty space in her routine.

In a photo shared by their dad on Lola’s 19th birthday in 2020, it appears Michael is playfully surprising his younger sister.

Joaquin is surrounded by love at his high school graduation.

Kelly jokingly mentioned that @instasuelos recently learned he won’t be living with @joaquinconsuelos when Joaquin starts college at the University of Michigan this fall. She shared this news while visiting Ann Arbor.

In March 2022, Kelly took a short vacation to Detroit to see the Wolverines compete in the Division 1 Wrestling Championships.

Even though Joaquin was only a first-year student and didn’t compete in wrestling this time, Kelly admitted on a live broadcast after returning that watching the young athletes compete was incredibly stressful for her.

After having to postpone their trip due to the pandemic in 2020, the family was finally able to visit Greece and Italy in June 2021.

Kelly said that what started as a graduation trip for her oldest son and niece ended up being a celebration for the newest members of the family, too, after it was delayed for quite a while.

Kelly loved a family photo taken during their trip to the Mediterranean so much that she used it for their 2021 holiday card.

Kelly shared an old Easter photo from 2012, jokingly referencing her daughter’s often-disapproving reactions, with the caption, ‘Happy Easter from 2012 because Lola approved this photo.’ She frequently posts playful jabs at her teenage daughter online.

Mark wished the “spectacular women” in his life a happy International Women’s Day. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day to the loves of my life!” Kelly wrote from the heart on Feb. 14, 2022.

Kelly celebrated the fruits of her labor on National Sons Day, Sept. 28, 2021.

In 2021, Kelly Ripa’s son, Michael Consuelos, shared a heartwarming throwback photo with his mom to celebrate her 51st birthday. He wrote a sweet message wishing her a wonderful day, calling her a strong inspiration and playfully reminding her that when he compares her to a T. Rex, it’s meant as a compliment.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I have to say, Kelly Ripa’s Instagram game is strong! She recently shared the cutest throwback recreation – she found an old photo from 2003 with her kids, Michael, Lola, and little Joaquin, and perfectly recreated it! It’s amazing how well they matched the original, even though Kelly joked that some things might look a little bigger now! It just goes to show how quickly time flies and how fun it is to revisit cherished memories.

As a mom myself, I totally understand the emotions Kelly felt in May 2020 when her eldest, Michael, graduated from NYU! It was a virtual ceremony, of course, because of the pandemic, but that didn’t diminish the joy. I was so touched by what she shared on Instagram – she said it was indescribable how much joy and pride Michael brought their family, and that she loved him with all her heart. It’s moments like those that really matter, isn’t it?

Kelly shared an Instagram post showing how much her kids have grown, comparing a photo from 2011 to one from 2019. She playfully noted, ‘The walls have gotten smaller!’

“The Graduate #2019,” Kelly wrote on Instagram celebrating Lola’s final days of high school. 

Kelly receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015 was an all-hands-on-deck event.

Kelly matched her son’s gown and the flowers at Joaquin’s middle school graduation.

When your family is this beautiful, you would likely be posing for selfies more often than not too. 

Holidays always bring family together and this famous crew is no exception. 

In 2003, Kelly Ripa and her husband, Mark Consuelos, attended the opening night of the show A Year With Frog and Toad at Maxine’s in New York City.

In 2001, Mark and Kelly brought their son to the premiere of Atlantis: The Lost Empire at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City.

This family always manages to have fun, no matter where they go – whether it’s a warm, tropical destination or a chilly, snowy one.

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2026-02-26 04:17