Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa’s Best Friendship Quotes

When it comes to iconic TV friendships that have translated off-screen, Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest top the list. The pair are not afraid to be goofy together, dress up in coordinating costumes and are always dishing out great friendship and relationship advice.

The Live with Kelly and Ryan cohosts began working together in 2017, with Ryan also signing on as an executive producer on the show. At the time, he had plenty of hosting experience from American Idol, the successful singing competition that started back in 2002. Next to Kelly, the radio host is a natural entertainer and is full of personality. They quickly established a witty banter between them, which has been a hit with longtime viewers of the program.

“This is going to be the most fun I’ve ever had, so thank you,” Kelly told Ryan on the talk show when he was named her official cohost. “Thank you for uprooting your life and sacrificing so much to be with us, we really appreciate it … Welcome to the family. You fit right in.”

The ABC stars grew so close that they decided to develop a comedy series based on their friendship. The show, titled Work Wife, was set in the real estate world with “the story of a platonic male/female team whose professional success, personal friendship and ability to share deodorant makes their lives work.” In February 2021, it was announced that the show was not moving forward at ABC, per Entertainment Weekly.

Though their comedy series did not pan out, the pair have continued to keep busy with all of their ongoing projects. The Georgia native has also gotten very close to Kelly’s husband, Mark Consuelos, and their three kids, Michael, Lola, and Joaquin. Mark has even filled in for Ryan many times on the show.

“We share everything with each other, on the show and off the show,” Ryan told Entertainment Weekly in February 2021. “It’s an interesting dynamic. I’m very close to her husband as well. Mark and I speak often in text, often talk to each other, about life and things that we’re working on or things that we want to do.”

Keep scrolling to see Ryan and Kelly’s sweetest friendship quotes.

Kelly on Ryan’s Authenticity

The longtime friends love gushing about each other any chance they get. They got candid in an interview to celebrate their third year of working together on Live with Kelly and Ryan.

“Working with your friends is a great privilege. It is a joy, and I have to say that it is a rare thing to work with a guy who is so authentic, and fun, and joyful, and humble, and generous and kind to everyone,” the All My Children actress told Entertainment Tonight in November 2020. “What you see of Ryan on the air is the person he is backstage, which is a unique thing.”

Ryan on Their Dynamic

Though Kelly and Ryan are coworkers, they are friends above anything else. They have a sweet morning tradition before they film each day.

“We do a television show, but it’s not just a television show,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “We come in and we literally have our first cup of coffee together and catch up with each other as friends do, and that’s the dynamic we hope we have with people who are watching as well.”

Ryan on Kelly’s Energy

The former ESPN personality first entered the entertainment scene in 1993, hosting Radical Outdoor Challenge. Still, he feels like working alongside Kelly has really been able to get him to open up on television and feel more comfortable on camera.

“She always has a story to tell, she’s always got a joke, she’s always got a reaction,” the Emmy winner told Entertainment Weekly. “And she brings incredible energy and honesty and candor to the show. She’s probably made me more comfortable, just talking about myself, which I don’t do on American Idol, I do a little bit more on the radio — being more vulnerable and more comfortable sitting back in the chair and having a conversation — versus performing. It’s less hosting and more companionship conversation.”

Kelly on Their Bond

In an October 2020 interview with Parade, Kelly addressed speculation about whether or not she was planning on retiring from Live with Kelly and Ryan.

“I talk about this with Ryan all the time because I was really looking to retire like by now, but Ryan Seacrest is so fabulous to work with and he is such a good friend,” she shared. “We’ve been friends for two decades, and I’ve got to tell you he is really such a draw to me there. I just love working with him so much. He makes every day feel like I’m not working and that’s when you know you have a great working relationship.”