Although longtime TV personality Ryan Seacrest, 48, announced his departure from Live with Kelly & Ryan on Feb. 16, he is getting all the support he needs from his girlfriend, Aubrey Paige Petcosky, 25, a source told US Weekly on Feb. 23. “Aubrey’s been a rock during the tougher times this past couple of years,” the mag’s insider dished. In addition, the source revealed that Ryan has found a better work/life balance in more recent years.
“Ryan has been very kind to himself recently. He regulates himself a lot better and doesn’t burn the candle at both ends,” they continued. “He still loves working, but he’s taking more time for himself.” And Ryan proved that he still loves to work, as he revealed he will be hosting the 21st season of American Idol during the spring in Los Angeles. “What I plan to do is once American Idol starts from Los Angeles live later in the spring, I’ll head out to the West Coast and host that show,” he explained to Kelly Ripa, 52, last week (watch the video here).
As previously mentioned, the Hollywood hunk revealed he would be closing the chapter on hosting the talk show alongside Kelly and moving forward. The duo made the announcement together during the Feb. 16 episode of the show, which proved to be emotional for the co-hosts and longtime pals. “You are a gem. You are one of my best friends. The greatest part of this entire experience is you’ve gone from being a friend to a family member. You are family to us,” the blonde beauty gushed to Ryan during the show.
He joined the talk show in May 2017 and will remain Kelly’s partner on the program until her husband, Mark Consuelos, 52, replaces Ryan at the end of this season. When the 48-year-old radio personality announced his goodbye, he made sure to thank Kelly for her friendship and more. He told her that he “looks up to her” and “respects her so much.” Of course, Ryan made sure to add a lengthy statement about his time on the hit news program.
“Working alongside Kelly over the past six years has been a dream job and one of the highlights of my career,” he shared with viewers. “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. 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.”