Ryan Seacrest leaves the daytime show after nearly six years.
Kelly Ripa revealed to ET's Rachel Smith what she said to Ryan Seacrest right before they stepped out to film his last show on Live With Kelly and Ryan. And while it wasn't anything elegant -- her words! -- it succinctly described exactly how she felt in the moment.
ET was with Ripa and Seacrest at ABC Studios in New York City as they filmed his last show, which aired Friday, and it was undoubtedly an emotional day, especially for Seacrest, who called Live home for nearly six years. When it came time to step out as co-hosts one last time, Ripa turned to Seacrest and expressed her emotions in a candid fashion.
"I looked at him and I said, 'This really sucks' and so inelegant," Ripa tells ET. "It's not an articulate thing to say, but that fit in that moment. I was like, 'Oh, this is our last walk out.'"
Beginning Monday, Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos will be the new co-host. Seacrest, who joined Live as Ripa's third permanent co-host in 2017, had no idea what he was walking into on his last day of work.
"I didn't know what it was going to feel like," he admitted. "I thought, 'Well, you can handle this' and then they roll the clips and pop balloons, but the sad music and the editing of those pieces together it makes you realize how many great moments we have had."
Just discussing the tribute made Seacrest a little teary-eyed.
"[Kelly] was holding me up a couple times 'cause I get very emotional," he said.
"It's been hard 'cause we've been preparing ourselves for this for a long time," Ripa chimed in.
No matter what, Ripa said they would remain close friends.
"We champion Ryan no matter what he does," she said. "We are like, team Ryan forever."
Ahead of his final day as co-host, Seacrest hosted a farewell dinner for the Live staff, whom he thanked for making his run a truly incredible experience.
"There really is no other place in our business like the Live show," Seacrest said in his speech at the dinner. "I'm grateful to have been a part [of it] for six years."
Back in February, a source told ET that the 48-year-old media personality had been contemplating leaving Live for some time now, thought he had been "very conflicted" about pondering his exit because he truly loved working with Kelly and the Live crew.
"However, with American Idol's upcoming season filming in Los Angeles and other opportunities, he felt leaving the show was the right thing to do," the source added.
On top of American Idol, Seacrest will also continue his radio show on KIIS-FM and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve, as well as focusing his summer on opening three more Ryan Seacrest Foundation Studios in pediatric hospitals across the country, which help patients to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media.
While these jobs are demanding and his foundation's mission is an incredibly noble cause, one thing they all have in common is that the spotlight belongs to those he's helping make a difference in their lives.
And therein lies the exact reason why Ripa tells ET she's glad Seacrest, despite a heavy load on his plate, decided to join her for nearly six years as her Live co-host: the daytime show helped showcase him and his talents.
"It's the one thing I have to say that I am so happy about because I've always known -- and we've always known here -- who Ryan is, at his core, but all of his jobs are about featuring other people," she said. "And I'm so glad that we got to feature Ryan because he is, I always say, one in a zillion. He is the most special person, talented, kind, conscientious ... "
As Ripa showered him with compliments, Seacrest couldn't help but grow emotional.
"Yeah, 'cause she does it to me," he admits. "She knows the magic power she has, 'cause she's authentic."
Added Ripa, "Because I like for him to see himself the way we see him."
Mission accomplished.
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