Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest seem to genuinely enjoy each other. That’s good, because no one else particularly likes them.
OK, perhaps that’s a bit harsh. But a recent study by the Q Scores Company found that while the newly minted “Live” co-hosts are both very well known, neither is particularly beloved.
The syndicated duo does compliment each other in at least one regard, however: Seacrest is more recognizable than his new partner among millennials 18-34 (with a 57% familiarity rating vs. a 48%) and Ripa is a more familiar face among those 50 and older (76% vs. 62%).
Unfortunately, they both have below-average Positive Q Scores and above-average Negative Q Scores, indicating what company president Henry Schafer called a “polarizing appeal,” or in layman’s terms, a “love to hate” relationship with viewers.
There’s more to delve into from the report provided to TheWrap. Ladies first: Ripa’s Positive Q Score among adults is just a 7 — that’s less than half the average score for a program host, which Schafer’s company find is a 15. Among males specifically, she sinks to a 5. Ripa is more popular with the ladies, but her 9 there is still pretty rough.
Seacrest has a 9 overall, but slips to a 6 among men. He averages an 11 with women.
Ripa’s best demo is women 35-plus. While Seacrest actually ties her there, his best demo is females 50 and older.
Not only is Ripa less liked than Seacrest, she’s more actively disliked — her Negative Q Score among all adults was a 34 versus his 29. The average there for a program host is a 22.
We’ve got some silver lining for Ripa, however. Seacrest has the highest Negative Q Score in an individual demo, with a 43 among males 35-49. Boy, do they hate that dude. Her worst is a 41 among women over 50.
Without any negative anti-social behavior affecting perception for either one of them, Schafer assessed the unfortunate results of his Winter 2017 study as “an indicator of their ‘stir the pot’ viewer attraction.”
Here’s how Q Scores surveys work: Schafer’s team provides a celebrity’s name and a brief description to more than 1,800 study participants. The viewers are asked if they recognize the person and how they feel about him or her. Schafer’s clients include talent agencies, movie studios, TV networks, etc.
Click here to read how Ripa compared to her last co-star, Michael Strahan. Spoiler alert: that wasn’t particularly favorable in the female’s favor either.