Kelly Ripa marks 25 years on 'Live!' yet still feels like the 'new girl'

EvenKelly Ripacan hardly believe she's spent 25 years greeting America each morning on "Live!"

Ripa, 53,celebrated the quarter-century TV milestone alongside co-host and husband of nearly 30 years, Mark Consuelos, during a special "Live with Kelly and Mark" episode on Friday, Feb. 20.

The episode on the nationally syndicated show features appearances from old friends (including frequent co-hostJerry O'Connell), the couple'sson Michael, 28,and voice messages from their other children, Lola, 24, and Joaquin, 22, who couldn't attend.

"The one thing my children, and others, said was, 'Here's to the next 25 years,'" Ripa tells USA TODAY. "I was thinking, 'Next 25 years? If I make it through the next 25 minutes, it'll be incredible.' Listening to people talk about me was torture. Like attending your own funeral."

Kelly Ripa denies abandoning RegisIn her new book, says friendship 'didn't really exist'

Here's what to know about Ripa's milestone:

Ripa recalls the psychic who saw her pregnancy on the first episode

Ripa insists she has very few specific recollections from Feb. 5, 2001, when "All My Children" star succeeded Kathie Lee Gifford as Regis Philbin's permanent co-host and the show became "Live with Regis and Kelly." She does remember psychicChar Margolistelling Ripa on air about her pregnancy with daughter Lola.

"I knew, Mark knew, but no one else knew. Not even our families," says Ripa. "It was too early to tell people. So that's a very cohesive memory."

But many of the other TV moments replayed during the celebration were almost surprises to Ripa, who felt as if she was watching them for the first time.

"I kept saying to Mark, 'I have no memory of that,'" says Ripa. "Then I realized I was either pregnant or nursing for a substantial amount of the time. It's a lot of foggy, grainy memories."

Watching the time on air inspired Ripa to give her younger self one piece of advice:

"It would be, 'Don't wear that,'" Ripa says. "I will say in my defense, maternity clothes in 2026 look very different from those in 2000. The options were very limited in maternity fashion, specifically."

Ripa has passed Regis Philbin in the all-time 'Live!' hosting

Ripa had a complicated relationship with Philbin, whodied in 2020,as she discussed in her 2022 memoir"Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories." Philbin was first paired with Kathie Lee for a morning show in 1985, but "Live!" didn't take its current format until it became nationally syndicated in 1988. Philbin retired in 2011, after 23 hears as the show's headlining host.

Ripa has now been the top host 25 years, taking the chair with co-hosts Michael Strahan (2012–16) and Ryan Seacrest (2017–23), and now Mark.

Advertisement

"I still think of it as Regis' show, and I'm the interloper," says Ripa. "My producer,Cindy MacDonald,one of my best friends, still calls me 'new girl.' This show is bigger than the host. And then we move on, and other people step into our shoes."

Ripa and Consuelos thought hosting together was 'a terrible idea'

Ripa insists that both she and her husband initially thought permanent joint hosting wouldn't work.

"We thought it was a terrible idea. It's like who wants to see two married people bicker every morning," says Ripa. "It turns out it's very interesting and relatable."

Happy birthday, Kelly Ripa! The beloved TV host turns 55 on Oct. 2, 2025. To celebrate her big day, we've rounded up photos of her life and career through the years.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ripa and Mark Consuelos cohost "Live with Kelly and Mark." Consuelos, Ripa's husband and former "All My Children" costar, joined "Live with Kelly" as her cohost on April 17, 2023.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ripa and Consuelos cohost "Live with Kelly and Mark" for the last time at 7 Lincoln Square on April 1, 2025. Ripa marked 25 years on "Live" in 2025, tying Oprah Winfrey's record as the longest-running female daytime talk show host.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ripa and Consuelos cohost "Live with Kelly and Mark" on Oct. 1, 2024. The couple won, as cohosts, the Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding talk show host in June 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ripa attended the 91st Academy Awards with her husband, Consuelos. The two tied the knot in May 1996 and have three children together: Michael, Lola, and Joaquin. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From left, Mark Consuelos, Kelly Ripa and former "Live!" cohost Ryan Seacrest attends the 95th annual Academy Awards on March 12, 2023, in Hollywood.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> The actress and TV personality officially got her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in October 2015.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Talk about a grand appearance! Ripa came onstage at the 10th annual TV Land Awards in April 2012 in a Catwoman costume. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Aw, throwback! Philbin surprised his "Live with Regis" viewers when revealing that Kelly Ripa would be his permanent cohost in 2001. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Kelly Ripa's career, from soap operas to 'Live!' TV host success with Mark Consuelos

Happy birthday, Kelly Ripa! The beloved TV host turns 55 on Oct. 2, 2025. To celebrate her big day, we've rounded up photos of her life and career through the years.

The two share intimate home details, including Ripa assuring her "All My Children" alum husband this week that he'd score a "gold medal" for farting while discussing a reportabout "smart underwear."

"We like to put our own experience into these news articles," says Ripa, who says there are no-go discussion areas. "I think we reveal just enough, and sometimes we don't go far enough. I'm sure Mark would say that we always go too far. I'll say that for him."

Ripa says there are no post-show recriminations for what's discussed on air, and, even on the well-choreographed show, there is no "safe" word to avoid topics that may get sensitive.

"We know each other so well, we don't need a 'safe' word. But there's a 'safe' glance," says Ripa. "We already know what the other person is thinking."

Ripa will 'tap out' of future physical show feats

Ripa has been game for on-air physical feats, from scaling a 30-ft wall with Cirque de Soleil to hangingupside down on a bungee cordwith magician David Blaine.

In 2012, Ripa and executive producer Michael Gelman consumed copious amounts of alcohol and went night skiing with torches.

"That was definitely dangerous, particularly because we had all consumed alcohol before we did it," says Ripa. "We have this theory that as long as we're doing it on camera, nothing bad can happen."

Ripa admits she'll be cutting back on the TV stunts going forward.

"I'm older and wiser and more afraid of breaking a hip," says Ripa. "Now, I'd probably tap out."

Ripa has no fears of A.I. couple replacement

Ripa does not say how long she'll continue with "Live!," but the co-host does not fear being pushed out by A.I. simulations.

"There are certain things that A.I. cannot recreate," Ripa says. "A.I. could never be as exciting or as boring as we are on anything."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kelly Ripa hits 25 years on 'Live!', still loves oversharing with Mark

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 20, 2026

Kelly Ripa marks 25 years on 'Live!' yet still feels like the 'new girl'

EvenKelly Ripacan hardly believe she's spent 25 years greeting America each morning on "Live!" ...

Read More

2026 BAFTAs: How to watch live in the U.S., start time, nominations list and more

Awards season continues this weekend with the 79th British Academy Film Awards. The BAFTAs are widely considered an indicator for the Oscars (coming up on March 15), so Hollywood's heavy hitters are headed across the pond. Paul Thomas Anderson'sOne Battle After Anotherleads with 14 nominations, thoughSinnersis close behind at 13.Hamnet, Sentimental Value and Marty Supremeround out the Best Film category.

The BAFTAs will air live in the U.K. at 7 p.m. GMT this Sunday, Feb. 22, on BBC One (and stream on iPlayer). In the U.S., viewers can catch the show on a delay on E!, tune in live via BritBox or watch free with the help of a VPN, or virtual private network. Here's what to know about watching the 2026 BAFTAs.

When are the BAFTAs?

The 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards are this Sunday, Feb. 22.

What time are the BAFTAs on in the U.S.?

The BAFTAs will air at 7 p.m. GMT, meaning in the U.S., they'll be on at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.

Advertisement

BAFTAs 2026 channel

This year's BAFTAs will air on BBC One and iPlayer in the U.K., and be rebroadcast on E! in the U.S. The show will also stream live on BritBox in the U.S., available via its own app or as a Prime Video add-on.

How to watch the 2026 BAFTAs live from the U.S.

More ways to watch the 2026 BAFTAs

2026 BAFTAs host

Alan Cumming will host the 2026 BAFTAs.

2026 BAFTA presenters

This year's presenters include Aaron Pierre, Aimee Lou Wood, Alicia Vikander, Alia Bhatt, Bryan Cranston, Cillian Murphy, David Jonsson, Delroy Lindo, Emily Watson, Erin Doherty, Ethan Hawke, Gillian Anderson, Glenn Close, Hannah Waddingham, Karen Gillan, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Kerry Washington, Little Simz, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Michael B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Milly Alcock, Minnie Driver, Monica Bellucci, Noah Jupe, Olivia Cooke, Patrick Dempsey, Regé-Jean Page, Riz Ahmed, Sadie Sink, Stellan Skargård, Stormzy and Warwick Davis.

2026 BAFTA performers

This year's BAFTAs will see the first performance outside the U.S. of "Golden," the Grammy-winning track fromKPop Demon Hunters, sung by JAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami (the voices of HUNTR/X). Jessie Ware will also perform during the in memoriam.

2026 BAFTA nominees

Best film

• Hamnet

• Marty Supreme

• One Battle After Another

• Sentimental Value

• Sinners

Outstanding British film

• 28 Years Later

• The Ballad of Wallis Island

• Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy

• Die My Love

• H Is For Hawk

• Hamnet

• I Swear

• Mr Burton

• Pillion

• Steve

Leading actress

• Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

• Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

• Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue

• Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another

• Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value

• Emma Stone, Bugonia

Leading actor

• Robert Aramayo, I Swear

• Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme

• Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

• Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon

• Michael B. Jordan, Sinners

• Jesse Plemons, Bugonia

Supporting actress

• Odessa A'zion, Marty Supreme

• Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value

• Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

• Carey Mulligan, The Ballad of Wallis Island

• Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

• Emily Watson, Hamnet

Supporting actor

• Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another

• Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein

• Paul Mescal, Hamnet

• Peter Mullan, I Swear

• Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

• Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value

Director

• Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia

• Chloé Zhao, Hamnet

• Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme

• Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

• Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

• Ryan Coogler, Sinners

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

• The Ceremony

• My Father's Shadow

• Pillion

• A Want In Her

• Wasteman

Film not in the English language

• It Was Just An Accident

• The Secret Agent

• Sentimental Value

• Sirât

• The Voice of Hind Rajab

Documentary

• 2000 Meters to Andriivka

• Apocalypse in the Tropics

• Cover-Up

• Mr Nobody Against Putin

• The Perfect Neighbor

Animated film

• Elio

• Little Amélie

• Zootropolis 2

Children's and family film

• Arco

• Boong

• Lilo & Stitch

• Zootropolis 2

Original screenplay

• I Swear

• Marty Supreme

• The Secret Agent

• Sentimental Value

• Sinners

Adapted screenplay

• The Ballad of Wallis Island

• Bugonia

• Hamnet

• One Battle After Another

• Pillion

EE BAFTA Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)

• Robert Aramayo

• Miles Caton

• Chase Infiniti

• Archie Madekwe

• Posy Sterling

Original score

• Jerskin Fendrix, Bugonia

• Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein

• Max Richter, Hamnet

• Jonny Greenwood, One Battle After Another

• Ludwig Göransson, Sinners

Casting

• I Swear

• Marty Supreme

• One Battle After Another

• Sentimental Value

• Sinners

Cinematography

• Frankenstein

• Marty Supreme

• One Battle After Another

• Sinners

• Train Dreams

Costume design

• Frankenstein

• Hamnet

• Marty Supreme

• Sinners

• Wicked: For Good

Editing

• F1

• A House of Dynamite

• Marty Supreme

• One Battle After Another

• Sinners

Production design

• Frankenstein

• Hamnet

• Marty Supreme

• One Battle After Another

• Sinners

Makeup and hair

• Frankenstein

• Hamnet

• Marty Supreme

• Sinners

• Wicked: For Good

Sound

• F1

• Frankenstein

• One Battle After Another

• Sinners

• Warfare

Special visual effects

• Avatar: Fire and Ash

• F1

• Frankenstein

• How to Train Your Dragon

• The Lost Bus

British short film

• Magid / Zafar

• Nostalgie

• Terence

• This Is Endometriosis

• Welcome Home Freckles

British short animation

• Cardboard

• Solstice

• Two Black Boys in Paradise

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 20, 2026

2026 BAFTAs: How to watch live in the U.S., start time, nominations list and more

Awards season continues this weekend with the 79th British Academy Film Awards. The BAFTAs are widely considered an indi...

Read More

US nears 1,000 measles cases with infections confirmed in 26 states, CDC data shows

The U.S. is close to reaching at least 1,000 measles cases for the third time in eight years.

At least 72 new measles cases have been confirmed in the last week, according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So far this year, there have been total of 982 cases in 26 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

New map shows how to spot the measles risk level in your ZIP code

Just six measles cases were reported among international travelers so far this year, according to CDC data.

About 94% of cases are among people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, the CDC said.

Meanwhile, 3% of cases are among those who have received just one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and 4% of cases are among those who received the recommended two doses, according to the CDC.

Advertisement

The current measles situation in the U.S. is partly being driven by a large outbreak in South Carolina that began last year, with 962 cases recorded as of Friday, according tostate health officials.

Last year, the U.S. recorded 2,281 measles cases, which is the highest number of national cases in 33 years, according to the CDC.

It also marked the first U.S. deaths recorded from measles in a decade,two among school-aged unvaccinated childrenin Texas anda third among an unvaccinated adultin New Mexico.

The CDC currentlyrecommendspeople receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC said.

However, federal data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years. During the 2024-2025 school year,92.5% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, according to data. This is lower than the 92.7% seen in the previous school year and the 95.2% seen in the 2019-2020 school year, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month marked one year since a measles outbreak began in West Texas, with infections soon spreading to neighboring counties and other states.

Public health expertspreviously told ABC Newsthat if cases in other states are found to be linked to the cases in Texas, it would mean the virus has been spreading for a year, which could lead to a loss of elimination status.

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 20, 2026

US nears 1,000 measles cases with infections confirmed in 26 states, CDC data shows

The U.S. is close to reaching at least 1,000 measles cases for the third time in eight years. At least 72 ne...

Read More

All truckers and bus drivers will be required to take commercial driver's license tests in English

All truckers and pass drivers will have to take their commercial driver's license tests in English as the Trump administration expands its aggressive campaign to improve safety in the industry and get unqualified drivers off the road.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the latest effort Friday to ensure that drivers understand English well enough to read road signs and communicate with law enforcement officers. Florida already started administering its tests in English.

Currently, many states allow drivers to take their license tests in other languages even though they are required to demonstrate English proficiency. California offered tests in 20 other languages. And Duffy said that a number of states have hired other companies to administer commercial driver's licenses tests, and those companies aren't enforcing the standards that drivers are supposed to meet.

"And the third party tester is participating in the scam because they are not adequately testing the people who went through a sham school," Duffy said.

He said every American wants drivers who get behind the wheel of a big rig to be well-qualified to handle those vehicles. But Duffy said that for too long the problems in the trucking industry were "allowed to rot and no one's paying attention to it for decades."

"Once you start to pay attention, you see that all these bad things have been happening. And the consequence of that is that Americans get hurt," Duffy said. "When we get on the road, we should expect that we should be safe. And that those who drive those 80,000-pound big rigs, that they are well-trained, they're well-qualified, and they're going to be safe."

The campaign will also now expand to go prevent fraudulent trucking companies from getting into the business while continuing to go after questionable schools and ensure states are complying with all the regulations for handing out commercial licenses.

Earlier this week, the Transportation Departmentsaid 557 driving schools should closebecause they failed to meet basic safety standards. And the department has been aggressively going after states that handed out commercial driver's licenses to immigrants who shouldn't have qualified for them ever since a fatal crash in August.

Advertisement

A truck driver who Duffy says wasn't authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Floridathat killed three people. Other fatal crashes since then, including one in Indiana that killed four earlier this month, have only heightened concerns.

Duffy said that the registration system and requirements for trucking companies will be strengthened while Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration inspectors conduct more spot checks of trucks and commercial driver's license schools.

Currently, companies only have to pay a few hundred dollars and show proof of insurance to get registered to operate, and then they might not be audited until a year or more later.

That has made it easy for fraudulent companies that are known in the industry as chameleon carriers to register multiple times under different names and then simply switch names and registration numbers to avoid any consequences after crashes or other violations.

Officials are also trying to make sure that the electronic logging devices drivers use are accurate, and that states are following all the regulations to ensure drivers are qualified to get commercial licenses.

After that Indiana crash, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration knocked the company that employed the driver out of service and pulled the DOT numbers assigned to two other companies that were linked to AJ Partners. Tutash Express and Sam Express in the Chicago area were also disqualified, and the Aydana driving school that the trucker involved in the crash attended lost its certification.

Immigration authorities arrested that driver because they said the 30-year-old from Kyrgystan entered the country illegally. Authorities say he pulled out and tried to go around a truck that had slowed in front of him and his truck slammed into an oncoming van.

In December, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration took action todecertify up to 7,500 of the 16,000 schoolsnationwide but that includedmany defunct operations.

Duffy said the companies involved in that Indiana crash were all registered at the same apartment. In other cases there might be hundreds of these chameleon companies registered at a single address.

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 20, 2026

All truckers and bus drivers will be required to take commercial driver's license tests in English

All truckers and pass drivers will have to take their commercial driver's license tests in English as the Trump admi...

Read More

Amy Grant on difficult brain injury recovery that led to first new album in 13 years

Amy Grantwas in recovery mode.

After two surgeries followingher July 2022 bike accidentthat caused traumatic brain injury, she was cleaning out spaces and closets in her Franklin, Tennessee home when one of her daughters asked, "What is your creative space in the house?"

Grant realized, "I've never had a room where I could close the door in this house."

So, shetells USA TODAY, she went upstairs and "cleaned and cleaned and cleaned" and when she was finished, instinct kicked in.

"I picked up a pen and wrote a poem, 'The Me that Remains.' I was still recovering. I wasn't thinking about writing and my short-term memory was a struggle at the time. It was so hard to write music because I couldn't remember a lyric I'd written five minutes earlier."

Grant, 65, resolved her limitation by reaching out to longtime friend,Mac McAnally, a Nashville institution as a musician, songwriter and producer.

In January 2025, the pair convened in a studio with a couple of outlines from Grant, meeting every few months throughout the year to work on more songs until "Mac said, 'Hey! We've got a record!'," Grant recalls with a laugh.

Amy Grant shares details of her new album

The finished product takes its name from that poem Grant penned in her room upstairs – the title track "The Me That Remains." The 10-song album, arriving May 8, is Grant's first collection of all-original songs in 13 years (the faith-based "How Mercy Looks From Here" landed in 2013).

Advertisement

In January, Grant released what became the first song on the new album, the breezy folk-pop nugget,  "The 6th of January (Yasgur's Farm)," which she told USA TODAY at the time invited people to "sit with unrest."

Along with teaming with McAnally, who produced the record, Grant shares her warm voice – now tinted with the huskiness that comes with age and wisdom – on profoundly personal songs withhusband Vince Gill("Friend Like You") and daughters Sarah Cannon and Corrina Gill (album closer "The Other Side of Goodbye").

Grant fans will also thrill at the revelation that career-long musical partnerMichael W. Smithalso joins the tracklist on the redemption study, "The Saint."

"I was going, this feels so good!," Grant said of the yearlong recording process. "I'm reengaged in a community that is filled with joy."

To celebrate "The Me That Remains," Grant will hold an album release show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville May 9. Tickets go on sale Feb. 27 viaamygrant.com. She's also playing a spate of dates in February and May, with the Ryman show wrapping her plans for now.

Amy Grant is 'not trying to turn the clock back'

Grant doesn't camouflage theemotional and physical distressshe's endured since her accident as she sings on the title track, "Life cut me wide open / When my head hit the ground / Wasn't my time for dying / Guess my soul just stuck around."

She's also realistic that her nearly 50-year career as a contemporary Christian supernova that detoured into unprecedented mainstream success with her 1991"Heart in Motion" albumand the pop hits "Baby, Baby," "Every Heartbeat" and "That's What Love is For," was a lifetime ago.

"This is not the music business of the 1990s. There has never been a noisier world and I harbor no illusions," she says. "I'm not trying to turn the clock back, but this is music that feels comfortable to me. Life does present you with all kinds of weird things."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Amy Grant is back after injury with first new album in 13 years

byCustos Caelorum

in

February 20, 2026

Amy Grant on difficult brain injury recovery that led to first new album in 13 years

Amy Grantwas in recovery mode. After two surgeries followingher July 2022 bike accidentthat caused traumatic ...

Read More