Kelly Ripa Biography

Kelly Ripa is the bubbly blonde who went from co-hosting with Regis Philbin on Live! With Regis and Kelly to hosting the show herself — Live! With Kelly — to then co-hosting with Michael Strahan on Live With Kelly and Michael.

She grew up in New Jersey and headed to New York City to make it as a performer. At the age of 19, Ripa was cast in the daytime soap opera All My Children as a party girl with a troubled past. She played the role from 1990 until 2002, when her character left town to pursue a career in television.

And that’s what Ripa did. Just before she left All My Children she was named as Kathie Lee Gifford’s replacement as co-host with Regis Philbin on Live!. Her energy and their on-camera chemistry made ratings jump and they continued to partner until 2011, when Philbin retired. For the next year, Ripa took the reins with a series of co-hosts, until former NFL player Michael Strahan was announced as her permanent partner.

While working on Live!, Ripa also co-starred in a sitcom, Hope & Faith (2003-06), and started her own industry as a commercial spokesperson and production company executive.

Strahan announced in 2016 that he was leaving the show — to Ripa’s surprise — to go work with ABC’s Good Morning America.