The Bakersfield Californian

KELLY RIPA

BY JAY BOBBIN

Kelly Maria Ripa was born on Oct. 2, 1970, in Berlin, N.J. A ballet student at a young age, she was a cheerleader in high school, where her drama teacher recommended that she pursue a career in acting. Though she started college in pursuit of a psychology degree, she dropped out to go to New York and seek acting jobs.

Ripa first was seen on national television as a dancer on the show “Dancin’ on Air,” which evolved into “Dance Party USA.” She also had thoughts of becoming a newscaster, but her next TV stop would turn into a long one ... “All My Children,” the weekday serial on which she played Hayley Vaughan for 12 years (19902002).

While she was on “All My Children,” Ripa appeared as a guest on “Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee,” then was among those summoned for a co-host tryout opposite Regis Philbin after Kathie Lee Gifford left the syndicated weekday talk show. She was named Gifford’s successor in February 2001, and her joining the program (while she still was working at “All My Children”) led to a near-immediate increase in its demographic among younger viewers. From 2003 to 2006,

Ripa also starred with Faith Ford in the primetime sitcom “Hope & Faith.”

The retirement of Regis Philbin from daily TV in 2011 put Ripa in the position he had been in when she was hired for “Live!,” working with a parade of guest co-hosts in what effectively were tryouts to find a permanent on-air partner for her. Eventually, Michael Strahan got the job, and he stayed for just under four years before he moved to ABC’s “Good Morning America” full-time.

For a year starting in May 2016, Ripa sat with a second succession of guest co-hosts on “Live!” until a deal was made with Ryan Seacrest, who has shared “Live With Kelly and Ryan” with her since then.

The sister of a children’s-book author, Ripa is married to actor Mark Consuelos, with whom she worked on “All My Children.” They have two sons

and a daughter, and they reside in Manhattan.

TONIGHT’S PICKS

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