There is a lot riding on Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ shoulders.
They have to keep loyal fans happy and also grow “Live!” — the show that Ripa has starred on for the past 23 years — for a new generation of viewers.
The couple seemed giddy on Monday as Consuelos, 52, took his seat beside his wife, Ripa, 52, for his first official show as co-host after years of filling in as needed.
“The future starts now,” the pair — who found love after co-starring on the soap opera “All My Children” in the ‘90s — announced at the top of the show. Ripa then introduced her husband as her forever talk show partner, joking he would be “joining me today and permanently until one of us dies.”
But then the cranky trolls came out of the woodwork.
On Thursday, as the couple put a pre-recorded show on air, they were already filming three new shows.
“Kelly would love to be helpful in the shepherding in the next phase of this show to keep it going as long as possible,” added the friend. “People are counting on their jobs. Live! is a franchise show. It’s not about Kelly or Mark, it’s about the health and stability of the franchise.
“When they feel that there are two other people who can carry on the show eventually, then that’s what will happen.”
