He’s back! Ryan Seacrest returned to Live as a guest — but he doesn’t quite miss hosting the broadcast.
“I got out just in the nick of time,” the American Idol host, 48, joked during the Thursday, May 18, broadcast, while promoting the upcoming live finale of the singing competition. “I have to say, I’ve been watching, you guys are so great together. I love it. I love Mark [Consuelos] doing the teases, I love the promos I see, I love the games.”
Seacrest hosted Live With Kelly and Ryan for six years opposite Kelly Ripa. The Georgia native announced in February that he was ready to step down from his Live chair, as Ripa’s husband, Consuelos, took his place. Thursday’s appearance marked his first time on the show since his April 14 departure.
Ripa, 52, noted on Thursday that she thinks Seacrest is just relieved that he doesn’t have to do all the promo shoots and episodic games that are featured on the broadcast and in its commercials. Consuelos, also 52, took it upon himself to recap Seacrest on what’s been happening in the studio.
“You’ve missed ballroom dancing, menopause myths, couples therapy — all those great segments,” the Riverdale alum quipped.
Seacrest went on to reveal that he’s been able to experience a “fascinating thing called time” since leaving the morning show. “So what I do is the alarm chimes in the morning, it’s like a soft nudge,” he said of his new daily routine, joking it starts at 11:00 a.m. and involves foraging for his own breakfast in the woods. “I walk through the forest and I look for the beans of coffee. I take them back, I roast them. I milk my almonds and I make a latte. Now, it’s noon.”
While Seacrest — who’s been dating model Aubrey Paige for two years — has been enjoying not waking up so early to film the talk show, Consuelos has embraced his new life as a TV host.
“This show today truly felt like home,” the Kingdom alum exclusively told Us Weekly in April after his first show. “I always feel at home with Kelly but [working] together this morning just felt so right. Kelly and I have always [felt] the most [at] ease when we’re together and I feel so lucky we get to do that daily.”
The Live Wire author — who married Consuelos in 1996 before welcoming three children together — was equally excited about her spouse joining her at the anchor’s desk.
“I had no concerns about how well he was going to do and he really proved me right,” Ripa told Us last month. “I’m so proud of him, but I was never worried. … The thing I love about Mark is how funny he is. The advice I gave him was to just keep being yourself, enjoy every moment and be present. He took it from there.”
