Kelly Ripa Jokes She'd Have to 'Retire' to 'Start Eating Like a Normal Person' After Years on Hit Morning Show
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos discussed healthy eating on 'Live.'
Aug. 31 2026, Published 3:23 p.m. ET
Kelly Ripa blamed her late-night eating habits on her busy filming schedule, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The topic came up on a recent installment of Live With Kelly and Mark, when the morning show co-hosts were discussing the healthy times to eat in a day.
Kelly Ripa Admits She Eats 'Later Than Most People'
Kelly Ripa confessed she eats 'late' in the day.
Unfortunately for Ripa, 55, she didn't think it would be possible to regularly avoid having a snack or meal just before bedtime.
"Say you're like us and you host a morning show. We tend to eat late. Like, we eat later than most people eat," she explained. "So I tend to eat like right up until I go to bed."
"I have to retire to start eating like a normal person," she quipped.
Kelly Ripa Has Been Hosting 'Live' for 25 Years
Kelly Ripa began hosting 'Live' in 2001.
That might be a big habit to break even when she does retire. The mother-of-three – who shares kids Michael, Joaquin and Lola with her husband, Mark Consuelos – has been hosting Live for 25 years.
"On one respect it feels like I've always been here my entire life, but if I'm really doing the math in my head, it feels like I've been here three years," she joked about the show's major anniversary.
Ripa first joined the show in February 2001, alongside Regis Philbin. Over the years, she's also co-hosted with Michael Strahan and Ryan Seacrest.
In 2023, Consuelos officially took over as her co-host after Seacrest left to focus on other commitments.
Kelly Ripa Tried Mark Consuelos' Diet to Fit Into Oscars Dress
Kelly Ripa revealed she went on a brief high protein diet.
This isn't the first time Ripa has opened up on her eating habits. Back in June 2025, she revealed that she went on a three-day "protein-heavy diet" when she struggled to fit into her gown for the Oscars.
"So, right before the Academy Awards, I was having trouble getting my dress zipped up the side. It was a side-zip, the dress, and I kept getting zipped into the dress," she explained on Live. "I don’t know if any women have experienced having your side skin zipped into your dress. It is a punishing thing… And you put me on a high, high protein diet."
"It’s the only time I’ve listened to Mark about my diet because I typically don’t like to do what you’re doing," she added. "I just find, you’re like, way too disciplined. I can’t live that way. But for 72 hours, I can live like Mark Consuelos, so I lived like Mark Consuelos for 72 hours."
'I Looked Super Fit'
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Kelly Ripa revealed that her husband helped her fit into her dress.
According to Ripa, the diet worked – even though it wasn't her favorite way to eat.
"I ate exactly like you told me to eat and that dress zipped right up, no side skin," she shared. "And I looked super fit. Super, super fit. So thank you for that."
"You were there, you were managing my diet," she continued. "Literally, if he was like, ‘Eat this,’ I ate it. And it was great for the 72 hours I had to suffer through it."
