As previously reported, Ryan Seacrest has announced he will be leaving Live! with Kelly and Ryan after five years on the show.
The popular (and very busy) TV personality, who will be be replaced by Kelly Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos, was the fifth person to hold a permanent hosting role since the show's original inception as Live! with Regis and Kathie in 1988. See what Ryan had to say about leaving the show in the video below.
WATCH: Ryan Seacrest announces his departure from Live! with Kelly and Ryan
The 48-year-old's choice to leave Live! comes as he chooses to focus more on his other TV commitments, such as hosting American Idol again this year.
Over the years, hosts of the show have left for a variety of reasons, with some leaving Live! and their co-hosts on good terms just as Ryan has done this year. However, at times the pressures of fame, grueling schedules, and personality clashes, have led to feuds between hosts and contentious exits.
Join HELLO! for a rundown of all the past co-host exits from Live!
Kathie Lee Gifford
As one of the two original hosts of Live! alongside Regis Philbin on its premiere episode in 1988, Kathie Lee Gifford became the first host to exit the show in 2000. And while the eight-times Outstanding Talk Show Host Emmy award nominees must have had some issues during their time hosting together, they were known for their genuine off-screen friendship, which they maintained following Kathie's departure from the show until Regis' death in 2020.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKathie and Regis began Live! as we know it
In fact, Kathie Lee's greatest Live! related spats have been with her replacement, Kelly Ripa.
READ: Kathie Lee Gifford shares joy over baby news in celebratory family post
In 2020, when it was announced that Kelly had detailed some of her struggles with Regis in her 2020 memoir Live Wire, Kathie told Good Day New York she would not be supporting her successor's new venture.
"I'm not gonna read the book. I haven't read it. I don't even know if it's out yet," she said bluntly. "I was very sorry to see the headlines," she also told the morning show.
But Kelly was unphased by her predecessor's remarks, telling the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast: " I knew writing the book was going to open me up to all sorts of criticism, but people who read the book have a very different take on those chapters, because they read the book."
© Photo: Getty ImagesKathie and Regis remained close friends after her Live! departure
She concluded light-heartedly: "My ultimate comment is…thank you! It's really hard to sell a book," referring to how Kathie Lee's comments drew more public interest into what Kelly had written about in her memoir.
Kathie Lee's reasons for leaving her Live! cohost were left unclear, which helped fuel rumors at the time of a rift with Regis. However, her departure was eventually revealed to be due to matters of a personal nature.
The actress and singer chose to depart from her role in the spotlight in order to care for her father, Aaron Epstein, who had been diagnosed with the rare Lewy body dementia. He died in 2002.
Regis Philbin
Kelly and Regis co-hosted Live! together from 2001 to 2011, with the former soap actress joining the show's original host after he had already spent 12 years alongside Kathie Lee Gifford.
© Photo: Getty ImagesRegis and Kelly in 2005
While Regis' departure in 2011 was not caused by any kind of fallout between the two beloved stars, both he and Kelly were open about the fact they did not always see eye-to-eye. Kelly and Regis sometimes clashed due to some of his pre-show rituals, which involved not talking to the star before cameras started rolling.
Speaking about one of these rituals to The New York Times in 2017, the sitcom star explained: "Regis had a mandate: Absolutely no talking off-camera. He had almost a superstition about it. You save it for the show. I'd be like, 'Good morning,' and he'd say, 'Save it for the air!'"
However, when Regis passed away in July 2020, Kelly was full of praise for her past co-host, despite their sometimes strained relationship.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe beloved star passed away aged 88
Getting emotional while talking to Ryan on Live! about Regis' death, she admitted: "As people get older, you always know that certain things are inevitable and passing away is one of those things. But Regis is one of those people we all believed I think, would somehow not."
MORE: Here's what Kelly Ripa has said about Regis Philbin in her own words
The TV host left his mark on Kelly. Speaking on 20/20 about his legacy, she said the main thing she learnt from him was "that you have to be yourself".
"You cannot be one person on camera and a different person once the light goes off or the audience is gone. You have to be who you are."
Michael Strahan
Michael departed Live! In 2016 after just four years hosting the show with Kelly Ripa. The former New York Giants football player left Live! to work full-time on Good Morning America, which he still hosts today.
The circumstances surrounding Michael's departure from Live! with Kelly and Michael were complicated. Kelly told the media she felt "blindsided" by news of her fellow host's departure as she only found out when the news broke nationwide.
© Photo: Getty ImagesMichael was a footballer before he became a TV host
Speaking to Variety about the situation in retrospect in 2020, she admitted she thought the way Michael's leaving was handled was "outrageous".
"I didn't kick up a fuss; it wasn't a big thing," she said. "I was just like, I'm not doing this. If I'm not worthy of a discussion, if I'm not worthy of you running this conversation by me."
SEE: Michael Strahan shares new update following time away from Good Morning America
But it's clear that there were tense feelings on both sides. In a 2020 interview with The New York Times, Michael detailed differences in his and Kelly's way of working and feelings of being sidelined as reasons for why he chose to leave Live! for GMA.
© Photo: Getty ImagesMichael and co-host Kelly sadly split on not-so-happy terms
The former NFL star said: "In sports, you can put as many great players as you want on a team, but if one guy out there is worried about himself, it will not work. Then on television, I’ve had jobs where I got there and felt like, 'Wow, I didn’t know I was supposed to be a sidekick.'
DISCOVER: Michael Strahan joined by all his children during family beach trip as he marks double celebration
"I thought I was coming here to be a partner," he continued. "When it was time to go, it was time to go. Certain things that were going on behind the scenes just caught up." However, Michael did admit his leaving "could have been handled better".
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