Checking in with MARK CONSUELOS
Celebrityscoop
“What can possibly go wrong with a No. 1 show?”
Mark Consuelos is asking himself that question – out loud – as he settles into his new role as permanent co-host opposite wife Kelly Ripa on the newly renamed, syndicated weekday program “Live With Kelly and Mark.” The challenge is slightly different for him now as a steady fixture rather than a visitor, but he took the job feeling quite prepared for it.
“I’m walking onto a championship team,” the friendly Consuelos reasons, “and what’s the worst that could happen? Everything! But I’m a big believer in just being in the moment. I don’t make catastrophes out of many things. For this, I’ve had on-the-job training.”
Indeed, Consuelos has guest-hosted “Live” numerous times, certainly during the tenure of his immediate predecessor, Ryan Seacrest. “I’ve done it with little or no preparation, sometimes last-minute,” notes Consuelos. “I believe in myself. I’m sure I’ll have ‘off’ days and I’m sure I’ll hear about it, but I know I can bounce back and hopefully be more additive than reductive to the show.”
Also, Consuelos has faith in “Live” continuing what he deems “a tried-andtrue formula” that also endured through pre-Seacrest co-hosts Regis Philbin and Michael Strahan. “With (executive producer) Michael Gelman leading the way, I know what they do here very, very well.”
Consuelos realizes he’s part of a changing landscape in daytime talk, also factoring in the endings of “Rachael Ray” and “Dr. Phil.” He allows, “You typically don’t have two big shows leaving at the same time, but I can’t concern myself with any of that. My focus is on our hour. And I hope I don’t screw anything up.”
Birthdate: March 30, 1971
Birthplace: Zaragoza, Spain
Current residences: New York and the Hamptons
Marital status: Married to Kelly Ripa; they have two sons and a daughter
Other television work includes: “How I Met Your Father,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Katy Keene,” “Broad City,” “The Night Shift,” “Riverdale,” “Queen of the South,” “Pitch,” “Kingdom,” “Alpha House,” “The New Normal,” “Guys With Kids,” “American Horror Story: Asylum,” “I Hate My Teenage Daughter,” “The Protector,” “Ugly Betty,” “Difficult People,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Hope & Faith,” “Missing,” “American Family,” “Friends,” “Third Watch,” “All My Children”
Movie work includes: “Nine Lives,” “All We Had,” “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” “Cop Out,” “For the Love of Grace,” “Husband for Hire,” “Wedding Daze,” “My Super Ex-Girlfriend,” “The Great Raid,” “Pride & Loyalty,” “The Last Place on Earth”