Ryan Seacrest is stepping down as co-host of Live with Kelly and Ryan after six seasons.
Seacrest made the announcement during Thursday’s episode, saying the “tough, tough decision” was something he and co-host Kelly Ripa had been talking about “for a long time”
“Last year we spoke and I made the decision to make this my last season as co-host,” Seacrest said.
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Seacrest said he plans to head back to the west coast in the spring when American Idol begins shooting their live shows in Los Angeles.
“Working alongside Kelly over the past six years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career,” said Seacrest, 48, in a statement.
Seacrest has spent the last six years co-hosting the show, taking over for Michael Strahan after he departed in 2016.
Live didn’t have to look far for Seacrest’s replacement. The hosts announced Thursday that Ripa’s husband Mark Consuelos would be Seacrest’s replacement.
In a social media post following the announcement, Seacrest congratulated Consuelos and said “Feel free to remodel my dressing room!”
During his announcement, Seacrest reassured viewer it wouldn’t be the last they saw of him and that he’d be coming back to fill from time to time as a guest co-host.
You can catch Live with Kelly and Ryan weekdays at 9 a.m. on WHIO-TV.
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