It wasn’t meant to be. Jerry O’Connell revealed in a new interview that he knew he wasn’t going to get the Live with Kelly cohost gig, which ultimately went to Ryan Seacrest. See what he had to say in the video above!
The 43-year-old actor — who guest-hosted with Kelly Ripa on the daytime program multiple times during her search for a costar after Michael Strahan’s departure — shared his thoughts with KTLA on Friday, May 12.
“I cohosted the Live with Kelly, now Live with Kelly and Ryan show… I love her. It’s just, there’s really nothing like it. It just happens right there. The prep time is not a lot,” O’Connell said. “There’s something super fun about it, and I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, doing it with her, Kelly’s the best!”
The Mistresses alum, who was once considered a top contender after Strahan left the show last year, then joked that he burst into tears when Seacrest was announced as the new Live cohost on Monday, May 1.
“I just left my house, I’ve been crying the entire time,” O’Connell quipped. “He’s great. He’s an old friend of all of ours. He’s been around here a million times. I know him, and he’s great for that job.”
He added, “I knew [he got the job]. I did know. It is a little scary because you know some secret information, like stock holders and the decisions that people of power have made.”
Even though he didn’t nab the part, O’Connell — who shares 8-year-old twin daughters Charlie and Dolly with wife Rebecca Romjin — still tunes in every single morning to support his pals. “Like a weird ex, I watch them every morning!” he said with a laugh. “It’s like stalking your exes’ Facebook page!”
