Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos Visit Son Joaquin At College After Announcing Bombshell Cohosting Gig

@kellyripa/instagram

Showing their support! As Live With Kelly and Ryan fans grapple with news that Ryan Seacrest will be replaced by Kelly Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, on air, the couple took some time away from their busy lives to show their son some love at college.

On Sunday, February 19, theLive With Kelly and Ryan host shared a photo to her Instagram Story of her newly appointed cohost and hubby posing next to the University of Michigan's Wolverines trooper while wearing a Michigan sweatshirt. Ripa tagged the school's wrestling team, which her son, Joaquin, is part of.

@kellyripa/instagram

The blonde bombshell then posted herself with the trooper as they replicated the same pose from the mascot and her husband's snap, holding up one arm to show off their muscles.

Ripa — who also shares Michael, 25, and Lola, 21, with Consuelos — smiled big while wearing a Michigan sweatshirt under a long jacket.

kellyripa/instagram

This wasn't the first time Ripa and Consuelos cheered Joaquin's on at school, as they stopped by the campus in October 2022 to celebrate his Big Ten wrestling win. Joaquin, 19, and his wrestling team were honored during an October football game at Michigan Stadium against Penn State — and the coparents couldn't have been prouder to show off their talented son and his championship ring.

Standing on both sides of Joaquin as he flashed his ring to the camera, Ripa and Consuelos smiled from ear-to-ear for the photo posted to the mother-of-three's Instagram page at the time.

@kellyripa/instagram

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The famous couple's quick trip to visit their son comes on the heels of Seacrest's announcement that he is leaving the beloved talk show after six years, with Consuelos taking over his position.

OK! learned ABC had been eyeing Consuelos as Seacrest's replacement ever since he began debating his Live exit.

And while execs were pushing for Consuelos to take the gig, seeing that the couple's on-screen appearances always went over well with fans, many were left outraged by the news.

“I don’t watch the show because Kelly Ripa gets on my nerves but working every day with her husband??? Mark is charming but it’s a little too inbred to be interesting," one upset fan responded, while another pleaded: "Can they reconsider the co-host please. Kelly & Mark are ok as a married couple off screen, but I can't stomach them being hosts together."

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