There was no room for small talk when the pair worked together on 'Live with Regis and Kelly.'
Kelly Ripa is opening up about her time working with her former Live with Regis and Kelly co-host, Regis Philbin, and one of her revelations is how Philbin had a “mandate” that the pair didn’t talk off-screen.
In a new interview with the New York Times, Ripa discussed how her relationship with current co-host, Ryan Seacrest -- who she texts at night and hangs with on the weekends -- is a stark contrast to her previous partnership with Philbin, who left the ABC morning show in 2011.
“Regis had a mandate: Absolutely no talking off-camera,” Ripa told the outlet. “He had almost a superstition about it. You save it for the show. I’d be like, ‘Good morning,’ and he’d say, ‘Save it for the air!’”
It’s a different story with Seacrest, who became Ripa’s co-host in May, replacing former football star Michael Strahan, whose exit led Ripa to leave the show for almost a week.
After searching for a year for a replacement, ABC hired Seacrest, who continues to juggle his radio show, red carpet gigs and upcoming return to American Idol.
As well as sharing how she socializes with Seacrest away from the cameras, Ripa praised him as the “future of the franchise” as well as the “future of ABC.”
Seacrest, meanwhile, told the newspaper, “If it were raining outside and there was a puddle, I’d want to stand in front of Kelly so she wouldn’t get wet. There’s that protection thing.”
He also shared the memorable FaceTime call the pair shared before Seacrest joined the show. “[She told me,] ‘’I want to manage your expectations. It’s a local television show that’s broadcast across the country.’ When she said that, I said, ‘OK, I completely get it.’”
The duo recently chatted with ET about their first six months working together and the chemistry that makes them excited to head to work each morning.
See the interview below.
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