Kelly Ripa has had a decades-long career on the small screen and over the years has amassed such a loyal fanbase and maintained her title as one of America’s sweethearts. Before she was waking viewers up Monday-Friday on Live With Kelly & Ryan, Kelly was a burgeoning soap star on the long-running series All My Children. During her time on the soap opera, Kelly earned a slew of Daytime Emmy nominations for her outstanding work as a young actress. Today, before the Daytime Emmys on CBS, we’re taking a look back at her transformation from All My Children starlet to energetic Live co-host!
It all started in 1990 when Kelly made her debut as Hayley Vaughan on All My Children. Kelly was only 20 years old when she landed the role, earning three Daytime Emmy awards for her performance. While appearing on the series, Kelly met the love of her life, Mark Consuelos, who played Mateo Santos on the soap opera. The pair met while filming in 1995 and eloped on May 1, 1996.
After Regis’s exit in 2011, Kelly was made the main host of the show before going through a rotation of potential co-hosts. Michael Strahan earned the coveted seat next to Kelly before moving on to Good Morning America. After his departure, Kelly was joined by Ryan Seacrest and the two have been hosting the show — Live With Kelly & Ryan — since May 2017.
