Ryan Seacrest Bows Out of Live

Ryan Seacrest was "supposed to be here for three years," Kelly Ripa told viewers Thursday about her Live co-host. That has turned into six years, which is where it will end, Seacrest said. "This is something that [Kelly] and I have been talking about for a long time, and it was a tough, tough decision," he said. "Last year we spoke, and I made the decision to make this my last season as co-host." Ripa then broke the news of Seacrest's replacement on the ABC show, Page Six reports.

"The only person I can think of that is capable of holding [Ryan's] torch the way [he has] held it would be my husband, Mark Consuelos, in what Ryan and I are calling the nation’s weirdest social experiment," Ripa said. Consuelos has filled in for Seacrest over the years. Seacrest said Thursday he'll return the favor, filling in as guest host of the show at times. His immediate plans include hosting American Idol this spring, he said. In a statement, Seacrest praised Ripa and Live's staff and crew, per People. "We've made memories to last a lifetime, met some of the most incredible people and had the warmest welcome into the homes of so many viewers across America," he said. (More Ryan Seacrest stories.)