Kelly Ripa Says She Needed Nearly 10 Years To Get “Comfortable” Hosting ‘Live,’ While Mark Consuelos Was Ready In “Eight To 10 Days”

The chemistry between primetime TV power couple Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos while co-hosting Live with Kelly and Mark is palpable. While Ripa has years of hosting Live under her belt, she believes Consuelos is a natural alongside her.

Decider attended the Live with Kelly and Mark PaleyFest event at the Paley Center for Media on Wednesday night (Oct. 11), where following a montage of their best moments together on-screen — from All My Children to Live — Ripa and Consuelos held a Q&A.

The event was moderated by executive producer of the couple’s Milojo production company, Albert Bianchini, who stepped in for 20/20 co-anchor David Muir while he was reporting on the recent terrorist attacks in Israel.

Upon being asked how hosting with her husband differs from the “many” hosts she’s worked with over the years, Ripa highlighted that she “love[s]” all of the people she’s worked alongside, from Regis Philbin to Ryan Seacrest.

“They’ve all been great,” she said. “But Mark is, I have to say, such a natural-born leader. And he’s so reliable, is so devoted to the mission. Whatever the mission of the day is, you know you can put it in Mark’s hands and he will carry it out.”

“Always,” Consuelos agreed.

“And the best part is, every time I look at him, it’s like the first time,” Ripa gushed. “I can’t believe I tricked this man into marrying me.”

She also commended Consuelos for the fact that “he does not take himself seriously.”

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“He’s completely irreverent, he really understands the joy that is Live,” she continued. “He understands it, and so I knew that he would be such a good steward of the show and really revere it the way we all do.”

Describing Consuelos as “such a consummate professional,” Ripa explained, “I keep saying that Mark got to where I was — like, it took me between eight to 10 years to feel remotely comfortable doing that job. And it took Mark about eight to 10 days. So that is like how he adapts.”

The two delved into their dynamic as both co-hosts and co-parents, and noted that they are “grateful for the time [they] spend hosting the show” together because surprisingly, “it’s the only time [they] see each other before the end of the day.”

“We have a lot of side hustles that we do,” Ripa quipped.

Live with Kelly and Mark airs weekdays. Check out their website for local listings.