Ryan Seacrest to Exit ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’

Ryan Seacrest announced today his pending departure from the veteran syndicated Disney-ABC morning talk show “Live with Kelly and Ryan” at the end of this season. Seacrest filled the chair formerly occupied by Michael Strahan in 2017 and initially committed to three seasons.

“Working alongside Kelly over the past six years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career. She has been an amazing partner, friend, and confidant, and although we will always be a part of each other’s lives, I will miss our mornings together,” Seacrest said in a statement. “I also want to thank Michael Gelman and the entire staff and crew – we’ve made memories to last a lifetime, met some of the most incredible people and had the warmest welcome into the homes of so many viewers across America. It’s been a memorable ride and now I’m excited to pass the baton to Kelly’s ‘real’ husband, Mark Consuelos.

Before leaving the morning show, Seacrest also announced that he would be stepping down from hosting E!’s live awards show coverage. This Sunday marks his return as host on ABC’s “American Idol.”