As fans eagerly await the debut of Kelly Ripa's newest co-host, the show managed to get hearts racing with a well-timed tease.
After a spring finished with guest co-hosts and a summer of reruns, it seemed like LIVE!'s longtime frontwoman was finally going to name her new on-air partner after declaring a "big announcement" was about to take place during the first week of the show's new season.
On LIVE!'s Instagram account, a video popped up promising a surprise that would blow our minds. Immediately, it seemed like one of LIVE!'s repeat trial co-hosts was about to get the coveted seat next to Ripa. However, just as we feared, the announcement was too good to be true.
Instead, toward the end of Wednesday's segment, Ripa revealed that the show is going to open its doors to a lucky fan who will be able to try their hand at hosting for the day. "Now you have the chance to prove it," Ripa said in response to claims that her job is easy. Daytime talk show hopefuls have until Sept. 20 to apply online for the spot.
While it is certainly a fun opportunity and one we'll all be tuned in to see, it wasn't the grand unveiling hearts around the country had desired. Instead, many were hoping for an end to the guessing game as Anderson Cooper, Jerry O'Connell and Fred Savage have all been speculated frontrunners in the press. While a rep for the show would not comment on any co-host claims, the rumor mill continues to churn, particularly now that the summer has ended and fall is upon us.
"We need to start looking because we have summer hiatus, we have vacation time. We need to find people," Ripa told People in May. "If we're going to have this list narrowed down at least to a manageable size by the fall, we need to start now.'"
However, according to a source, there now may be less of a rush to fill the seat permanently. As the source explained, ratings did not dip this summer—which they often do—so for now, it's working.