What Happened to Kelly Ripa? Host’s Absence From ‘Live With Kelly and Ryan’ Explained

So many viewers tune in to Live With Kelly and Ryan to get their daily dose of dynamic hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. In January 2023, Kelly missed several episodes of the series and was very vocal about the reason behind her absence. Keep scrolling to find out what happened to the beloved TV host. 

Where Is Kelly Ripa? 

During the first week of the new year, Kelly was noticeably absent for a few episodes of the program. On January 5, the show’s DJ, Deja Vu Parker, filled in for Kelly at the news desk. After making their grand entrances onto the stage, Ryan and Deja carried on with the show as usual, not revealing why the All My Children alum was missing that day. 

On Monday, January 9, Kelly returned to Live With Kelly and Ryan. Viewers took to social media to share their concerns after the American Housewife actress appeared to be under the weather. “I have a throat lozenge in my mouth,” she declared in a raspy voice at the start of the episode, admitting that she “came back too soon.”

Kelly explained that she “got really sick” and had to stay home in bed for several days. The New Jersey native shared that she tested negative for a number of different sicknesses and her doctor suggested she had a “random bug.” The following day, the raspiness in Kelly’s voice became even more noticeable to fans. 

“Yesterday after work around 2 p.m., my voice just left the building,” she told the audience. “I had no voice at all.”

On Wednesday, January 11, the talk show veteran was out sick from the series once more. Ryan was joined by guest cohost Carson Kressley, who has taken on the role a number of times in the past. The Queer Eye alum shared that he was out shopping the day before when he got the call from producers to fill in for Kelly on Live With Kelly and Ryan. Ryan and Carson interviewed Gerard Butler during the episode. 

Deja took on the guest cohost spot on Thursday, January 12. Over on her Instagram page, Kelly shared she was still not feeling well but had yet to find the root of her sickness. “Day six of nothing wrong with me,” she captioned a photo with her hand over her face. 

Live With Kelly and Ryan has welcomed a slew of guest cohosts over the years, including Kelly’s husband, Mark Consuelos. The Riverdale actor filled in for Ryan several times since the American Idol host officially joined the talk show in 2017. While it was not immediately clear who else would be brought in to fill in for Kelly or when she would return, fans were wishing her a speedy recovery.