Home sweet talk show! Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa felt at ease during their first Live With Kelly and Mark show on Monday, April 17.
“This show today truly felt like home,” Consuelos, 52, exclusively reveals in the upcoming issue of Us Weekly. “I always feel at home with Kelly but [working] together this morning just felt so right.”
The Riverdale alum adds: “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 former Alpha House star — who joined his wife, 52, as her official cohost on the ABC talk show on Monday — couldn’t contain his excitement over the moment. “I can’t wait to see where we can go from here,” he tells Us.
Ripa, for her part, was equally as happy with the couple’s beginning as coanchors.
“Mark did amazing! Better than I even thought,” the Hope & Faith alum, who shares daughter Lola, 21, and sons Michael, 25, and Joaquin, 20, with her spouse, exclusively shares with Us. “I look forward to a long TV partnership with him.”
The New Jersey native proceeded to sing her husband’s praises, saying, “He’s a natural and I have a good feeling this is going to be great for a while.”
Ripa and Consuelos kicked off their work partnership on Monday after Ryan Seacrest stepped back as the cohost following six seasons.
“The future starts now,” the pair — who found love after playing Hayley and Mateo on All My Children in the ‘90s — said at the top of the show. Ripa then introduced her husband as her forever talk show partner, joking he would be “joining me today and permanently until one of us dies.”
News broke in February that Seacrest, 48, would be leaving Live after nearly six years. At the time, Consuelos was announced as his replacement, a decision the American Idol host fully supported.
“I’m looking forward to coming back to guest host in the future and Kelly, I promise to forever share my food photos, chicken eggs, and olive oil with you,” Seacrest wrote via Instagram in February. “And congratulations to my brother Mark, feel free to remodel my dressing room!”
The former Pitch actor, for his part, shared his well-wishes with the On Air With Ryan Seacrest host via social media.
“I know I have some big shoes to fill … well actually they’re only a size 9, but you know what I mean,” Consuelos joked, referring to Seacrest’s small stature.
The former Keeping Up With the Kardashians producer cohosted his final episode of Live with Ripa on Friday, April 15. During the broadcast, he thanked his longtime friend for guiding him throughout his time on the show.
“I so appreciate your leadership, your love, your wisdom and I really do feel like a family member and we will have that forever,” Seacrest told the Stand-In actress. At the end of the episode, Consuelos came out on stage and brought Seacrest a giant cake to celebrate. The radio personality then gave his Live mug to the actor as a symbolic passing of the torch.
Two days later, Entertainment Weekly published an interview with Ripa and spoke about her future on the talk show.
“Every time you get a new cohost, it’s like a little jolt of energy,” the Live executive producer explained in the Sunday, April 16, article. “But to be clear, I am always thinking about retiring. It is my favorite topic of discussion.”
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For more on Ripa and Consuelos’ romance amid their working relationship pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly.
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