Kelly Ripa was full of emotions on Tuesday when she almost broke down on her show Live with Kelly and Ryan as she documented a very emotional family moment.
The mother-of-three opened up to her co-host, Ryan Seacrest, about her youngest, Joaquin, and explained why dropping him off at college was so heartbreaking.
MORE: Kelly Ripa shares rare family photo of her three children - and it's bittersweet
Kelly and her husband, Mark Consuelos, are now empty-nesters with all three of their children - daughter Lola, and son, Michael too - having left home.
WATCH: Kelly Ripa almost breaks down in tears during emotional moment on Live!
The star welled up when she said: "We took our youngest son to college. We dropped him off. It was really hard."
Kelly then went on to detail the moment and took a walk down memory lane to describe why it was so agonising.
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"My kids had this thing which I did when they were little," she said. "I'd tuck them in bed give them kisses and cuddles and then I'd say goodnight and then I'd leave and I'd come back and say 'one more, one more' and they would giggle and laugh.
© Photo: InstagramKelly and Mark's children are all grown up
"They knew I was coming back and they would be sitting there so excited. We would do it again and again. And then they got to be 15-16 and they were like 'it's weird'."
But then on Kelly's 50th birthday, the children all asked if they could sleep in her room and wake up together. Kelly did her 'one more, one more,' and admitted the kids loved it.
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So she began doing it when they would come home and stay with her and she confessed that it never really stopped with Joaquin, who has only just left home.
Kelly and Mark are now empty-nesters
"So," Kelly continued her story. "We dropped Joaquin off at school, I gave him a hug. It was actually brutally painful. I said 'I did not realise that 18 years would go so fast' and he didn't say anything." Kelly said her youngest continued to hold on tight to her.
"But then he turned to walk away and I shouted, 'Joaquin, one more,' and he kept walking'. I knew it was happening to him too. The emotions. He kept walking."
The TV personality only just held it together as Ryan said it was clear Joaquin was also feeling overwhelmed.
Fortunately, Kelly was able to compose herself and added that she was thrilled and excited for him and for what the future holds.
The show shared the clip on their Instagram and the moment was met with emotion from fans. "This got me all teary eyed in the morning," wrote one, while another added: "I just cried. Sending big hugs."
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