Ryan Seacrest Joins 'Live' As Kelly Ripa's New Co-Host

Ryan Seacrest will be joining "Live" as Kelly Ripa's new co-host, finally ending the search for a permanent co-host on the popular morning show.

The news was announced on Monday's show, and both Ripa and Seacrest made it official on their Twitter accounts shortly thereafter. Ripa posted a video of the two coming out onto the stage for the big reveal, where the pair greeted fans and declared how excited they were to be starting this new chapter of "Live." Ripa had teased the announcement to fans on Twitter Sunday.

Seacrest, who lives in Los Angeles, will be relocating to Manhattan for the new gig, CNN Money reports. Seacrest will also continue to lead his shows for iHeartMedia, and the role will reportedly not affect his other TV roles.

The search for a new co-host began about a year ago when Michael Strahan left the show, apparently without giving much notice and leaving Ripa in the dark.

While the announcement of Seacrest as the new co-host will bring stability to the show, the segment will also be facing stiff competition beginning in the fall. NBC is introducing a new 9 a.m. show with former Fox News star Megyn Kelly. The New York Times reports that NBC will either put Kelly's new show in that slot or move Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford's portion of the "Today" show into the 9 a.m. spot.

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