Kelly Ripa recently opened up about the difficult early years she endured on Live. In an interview with Variety, she detailed some of the things she had to experience while on the set of the show. The interview was for a new "Power of Women" cover story that allowed her to share her truth.
Kelly joined Regis Philbin on Live in 2001, which is the most-watched syndicated talk show on TV. But the reality of how she was treated off-air, behind the scenes on the set, has many in shock.
Kelly revealed that when she first joined the show, she wasn't given paid vacation time, maternity leave, or a wardrobe budget. She also had to fight for an office and a private bathroom.
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After four years, she was finally given a space to work out of. But get this — it was in a janitor's closet that they'd cleared out and put a desk in. Even when Regis left the show in 2011 — a change not initially shared with Kelly — producers wouldn't give her his office, claiming they needed to save it for the next cohost.
“It was very tough,” Kelly explained about her time on the show. “Had I known how difficult it would have been, I don’t know that I would have gone for it. I just think my ignorance in that situation wound up being my blessing and my superpower. I did not have an easy time.”
In her new book released in 2022, Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories, she talks about how she was often kept in the dark about any major changes being made to the show. She also detailed how, many times, she was made to use Regis' hair and makeup team instead her own.
For years, Kelly had to fight for her voice to be heard, mentioning that even members of the audience couldn't believe she had to stand in line with them to wait for the bathroom.
Kelly talked about not understanding why she was treated the way she was. “I know what it’s like to feel like you’re not wanted somewhere. I came from an acting background, and I am an expert in rejection. But this was like weirdly being rejected while also being the person that they wanted for the show.”
Although she went through a lot of sexism during her early years on Live, Kelly doesn't blame any one person for how she was treated. Instead, she looks at her experience as a fault of the entire network for not creating an equal environment between her and her male cohosts.
The network has now decided to cast Kelly's husband, Mark Consuelos, as her next permanent cohost. Though Kelly initially thought it would be a terrible idea, she came to realize that it would work in favor of the audience.
“I’ve got to tell you: Even during the tough moments, my wife, she’s a worker,” Mark said. “I’d like to think that she’s made a lot of sacrifices that have advanced the cause for women.”
