Ryan Seacrest Quits ‘Live With Kelly and Ryan’

Ryan Seacrest is walking away from Live With Kelly and Ryan after six years on the show, the TV host announced Thursday.

He will be replaced on the syndicated morning talk show by Mark Consuelos, the husband of his co-host Kelly Ripa. Going forward, the program will be renamed Live With Kelly and Mark, the New York Times reports.

ABC said Seacrest would stay on the show until spring and will carry on hosting American Idol.

In a statement, Seacrest said working with Ripa had been his “dream job,” adding: “It’s been a memorable ride and now I’m excited to pass the baton to Kelly’s ‘real’ husband, Mark.” Consuelos has frequently appeared as a guest host on the show.

Ripa, in a statement of her own, said: “I’m so grateful to have spent the last six years beside my dear friend of too many decades to count and will miss starting my days with Ryan. Ryan’s energy, passion and love for entertainment is one-of-a-kind.”

Seacrest originally joined Live after his predecessor, Michael Strahan, announced he was leaving to join Good Morning America in 2016, triggering a turbulent months-long search for a replacement.

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