Anderson Cooper thinks pal Kelly Ripa is giving other TV hosts a run for their money! The CNN anchor had nothing but praise for his longtime friend in a heartfelt message.
Kelly, 53, was named as one of the people on the 2024 Time100 list. Anderson, 56, praised her for her “effortless” cohosting style on Live With Kelly and Mark.
“When I’ve filled in as her cohost it’s taken me days to come up with enough material for one 15-minute opening chat segment,” Anderson wrote in a piece for Time, which was published on Tuesday, April 17. “Kelly has been nailing those day after day, month after month, for almost 24 years now, regaling us with entertaining stories, making us laugh and sharing the ups and downs of her public and private life. Doing that on live television — without a script — takes remarkable talent, not to mention guts, grit, hard work and heart.”
The Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty author went on to say that Kelly is “one of the greatest broadcasters in television history.” Kelly currently cohosts Live with her husband, Mark Consuelos, whom Anderson is also extremely close to.
“Would audiences want to watch a happily married couple who’ve raised three genuinely good kids? Yes,” he added. “The ratings are up, and Kelly has never been better.”
Mark, 53, celebrated his first full year as Kelly’s cohost on Tuesday. “I have to say it’s probably the fastest year of my life,” the Riverdale actor told Deadline of the anniversary.
The outlet also reported that average total viewership of Live has seen an increase from the year prior.
“I do think that there is something very possibly relatable about our relationship,” Kelly reflected. “We have disagreements like a normal couple, and we’re not afraid to let them unfold on the air and in front of America, and I think people find a lot of themselves in that.”
The Emmy winner is nothing but proud of how her husband has been able to adapt to the successful talk show formula in only a year.
“I find Mark utterly compelling, really interesting, super funny, and he’s bold in a way like nobody else. He says what’s on his mind. If he’s thinking it, he says it,” Kelly gushed. “I’ve done this a long time and oftentimes people will adjust their natural personalities to pander to what they think the audience wants to hear, and Mark will tell people what he thinks, and he doesn’t care if it’s not a popular opinion. It gives him an edginess that I think is really missing in the landscape today. Everybody’s so afraid to say anything, and Mark is unafraid to say exactly what he’s thinking.”
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