‘Live With Kelly and Mark’ Confuses Viewers After Mark Consuelos Goes Missing From the Show 

It’s getting increasingly more difficult to keep track of all of the big casting changes and switch-ups on Live With Kelly and Mark lately. During the episode of the talk show that aired on Thursday, August 10, Mark Consuelos was missing from the program. Former cohost Ryan Seacrest shockingly sat at the news desk alongside Kelly Ripa.

At the start of the episode, Kelly, 52, wore a Gabriela Hearst Meyers long-sleeve shirtdress in a vibrant geometric pattern. It was a look that longtime viewers of Live has seen before, signaling that the broadcast was previously recorded.

Toward the middle of the episode, Kelly and Ryan, 48, were wearing completely different outfits. The pair were seen chatting with Jennifer Aniston in an interview that previously aired on Live on March 22. Afterward, a segment where Kelly and Ryan interviewed Keanu Reeves about John Wick 4 played, which initially aired on March 20. 

The usage of segments from past episodes explained Mark’s absence. Mark, 52, didn’t officially become Kelly’s new cohost until April 17. Three days prior, Ryan waved goodbye to his cohosting role on the series after six years. 

“This is something that [Kelly] and I have been talking about for a long time, and it was a tough, tough decision. Last year we spoke, and I made the decision to make this my last season as cohost,” Ryan said in February. 

Though it’s very confusing for some, it makes complete sense why Live is airing clips from old episodes this summer. Kelly and Mark are currently on summer break, which means they have not been filming any new content for the show. The couple, who share kids Michael, Lola and Joaquin, are slated to return with new episodes of Live this fall. 

Before Live went on its summer break, Kelly missed several episodes of the show. She was temporarily replaced at the news desk by Maria Menounos on July 20 and July 21, Anderson Cooper on July 27 and Deja Vu on July 28. 

Kelly did not provide a reason behind her frequent absences from Live. Instead, she has been focused on promoting her trivia show, Generation Gap, a competition aimed to connect children with their grandparents. It’s a premise that’s near and dear to her heart. 

“We are so lucky because our kids have grown up, and they’re adults now, but they still knock-on-wood have their grandparents, and they’re very close and very connected, and they’re constantly learning from each other,” she said.