Ryan Seacrest Returns To ‘Live’ In 1st Surprise Appearance Since Leaving The Show
Welcome back to ‘Live,’ Ryan Seacrest! A month after departing from the morning show, Ryan returned to visit Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos and share what he’s been up to.
Ryan Seacrest can’t stay away from television. A month after he bowed out of hosting Live with Kelly Ripa, paving the way for her husband, Mark Consuelos, to take over as the permanent cohost, Ryan, 48, returned to the show on Thursday (May 18). It seems he’s gotten a bit bored, telling Kelly, 52, and Mark, 52, that he’s “got all kinds of time” since leaving. “There’s this fascinating thing I’ve experienced called time,” said Ryan, per Entertainment Weekly. “I don’t know if you guys know about it. The alarm chimes in the morning. It’s a soft nudge.”
“I walk through the forest. The sun is about right here. I look for the beans of coffee. I harvest them,” says Ryan about his morning routine. Ryan also gave love to Mark’s take on the show’s “Truth Game,” in which contestants call in and try to stump the hosts by guessing the truth behind two provided statements. “I have to say, I’ve been watching — you guys are so great. I love Mark doing the teases. I love the promos I see. I love the game,” said Ryan.
To demonstrate, Ryan participated in a version of the game by saying that, since he left Live, he’s been “studying dendrology, the study of trees,” or he began taking “an animal movement class.” To demonstrate this talent, Ryan crawled across the set like some unidentifiable animal before hopping back like a frog. The truth is – he’s been studying trees. It’s unclear if the producers were going to give him a Live-branded mug, the fabled prize for those who stumped the show’s hosts.
While some might wonder if Ryan is getting a bit stir-crazy since giving up one of his many on-air assignments, his return to Live actually fulfills a promise he made following his final show in April. “This isn’t the end, I’m going to be back,” he told People after taking a curtain call from the morning show. “This place is remarkable. I’m going to miss coming into this studio to see the people who have worked here for so long. It is about the people here; it’s a family at Live and they adopted me for a little while and I’m grateful for that. … So I’ll definitely be visiting from time to time.”
Ryan’s return was actually to promote American Idol, though Kelly was glad to see her friend again. She grew close to him over the six years of hosting alongside Ryan, and she made it clear she would miss him on his final show. “This has, without question, been the fastest six years of my life,” Kelly said through tears on his final broadcast. “Although you and I have been friends for decades and decades, I feel like I’ve gained, through this process, a younger brother slash oldest son. That’s how I feel about you. I’m so grateful that our success together on this show has led to us developing an even closer, yet also co-dependent relationship.”