Kelly Ripa's mysterious absence from Live as star prepares to leave home for big career moment

Kelly Ripa has been a familiar face on Live for decades, but this week, the popular TV star has been noticeably absent.

Instead, her husband and co-star Mark Consuelos has been holding down the reigns with a number of subs, including the show's announcer, Deja Vu, and Jane Krakowski.

But where is Kelly? The TV favorite has been keeping a low profile on social media and her absence hasn't been addressed by Mark either.

However, it is known that the actress will be receiving an honor this weekend in LA, meaning that she could be spending time in the West Coast ahead of the ceremony. 

She will be attending the Disney Convention, taking place from August 9 in LA, where she will be reuniting with former Live co-host Ryan Seacrest, and joined by other famous faces including Harrison Ford and Miley Cyrus.

She will then be honored at the Disney Legend's annual D23 2024: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, which will take place this weekend. 

News of Kelly's honor was first announced in March, and the star reacted to the accolade during an episode of Live. 

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Her husband told her: "I'm so proud of you. You're going to be a Disney Legend. You and Mickey."

Kelly replied: "You know what that means? That means you get free entry into Disneyland ... for the day."

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The popular star went on to tell her husband: "But it's so kind and overwhelming ... this show is the reason why, really. I feel like we're all sort of being inducted together."

Discussing the star-studded lineup, Kelly admitted that the news had blown her away and that she couldn't quite believe it. Mark sweetly reassured his wife: "I think you absolutely do belong. And I’m really, really proud of you."

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Kelly has been working for Disney for 34 years, and went on to joke that it was a family trait, whereby her father had also settled with a company and worked there for decades.

"It's almost like, my dad was a bus driver for New Jersey Transit for 30 years. And I'm like, 'Dad, what's the big deal? I've worked for Disney for almost 34 years.' So it's very funny. I don't know if it's a family thing but we settle down in a company and we just die there."

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Referencing the Hollywood stars she's being awarded alongside, Kelly went on to say: "I think I’m there to add a dose — you know, it's like, these are heavy-hitting Hollywood types. And I think they needed a normal person. A relatable character to throw into the mix."