Kelly Ripa Co-Host: Anderson Cooper is Favorite to Co-Host Talk Show With Her
Kelly Ripa came out saying that she wants her friend and CNN host Anderson Cooper to be her new co-host on the television talk show "Live!"
"We have a connection like nobody else," Ripa told Us Weekly. "I worship him!"
Anderson Cooper is a favorite of Ripa's but the official co-host will be announced on Sept. 3 and will debut on stage the following day. The first guests for the new host will be "Homeland" star Claire Danes and "American Idol" winner Phillip Phillips.
Cooper is also, however, tied up currently with his CNN show "Anderson Cooper 360" and his own talk show. Producers revealed that the new co-host will be one of the 59 guest co-host that appeared on the show since Regis Philbin left.
Ripa has signed a five year contract with the show so fans are expecting to see her on air at least until 2017. The new co-host will be the permanent replacement of Philbin, who left the show last year. Since his departure, "Live!" has been rotating through many guest co-hosts to see who fits well on camera with Ripa.
Ripa recently displayed a true testament to her friendship with Anderson. She flew to Croatia to help console her friend who was devastated by public reports that his longtime partner, Ben Maisani, was caught kissing another man. The CNN reporter was engaged to Maisani and following the scandal, he cancelled their rumored September wedding, according to several sources. The break-up was also difficult for Cooper because "he felt secure enough with Ben that he took the bold step of coming out as gay this year," a source told The National Enquirer.
