This is Why Anderson Cooper Can't Co-Host LIVE with Kelly Ripa
The news anchor is staying put at CNN.
Anderson Cooper is officially out of the running to become a permanent co-host on LIVE alongside his longtime friend, Kelly Ripa. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Anderson signed a new long-term deal at CNN. Sources add that Anderson alerted his Anderson Cooper 360 staff that he's staying at the network last week. He also let Kelly know about the decision, but, according to THR sources, he offered up his services to fill in as a guest host on the morning talk show. He will next co-host with Kelly on October 12.
When he appeared on Watch What Happens Live back in April, Anderson danced around a question of whether he would consider joining the program on a full-time basis, noting that he's "very happy at CNN." He added, "Listen, I love Kelly and I think that show is, Kelly is the heart and soul of that show and it’s going to go on and continue to be great and I wish Michael the best in his new endeavor."
Since Michael Strahan left the show back in May, there has been lots of speculation about who might sit next to Kelly on the program. Front runners have included Fred Savage and Neil Patrick Harris, the latter of whom has shut down those rumors. “[Guest hosting is] super fun [but] I have no interest at all in doing it all year long. It’s a hard show,” he reportedly shared last month, adding that before Michael joined the show back in 2012, he had been approached for the job but passed on the gig.
Would Andy Cohen even consider the job? Find out what he had to say, below.
