Kelly Ripa’s Co-Hosts for Next Week Revealed: ‘Empire’ Star, Newsman and a ‘Lost’ Alum

Jimmy Kimmel will be her very first Michael Strahan fill-in, as previously reported

| May 13, 2016 @ 2:53 PM Last Updated: May 13, 2016 @ 4:11 PM
Kelly Ripa

Move over Michael Strahan: Kelly Ripa will co-host the newly renamed “Live! With Kelly” next week with “Empire” star Jussie Smollett, Cedric the Entertainer, David Muir and Daniel Dae Kim.

They’ll appear in just that order Tuesday through Friday. As previously reported, her co-host on Monday — Ripa’s very first show without Strahan — is Jimmy Kimmel.

Strahan officially ended his four-year run on “Live!” this morning. The former NFL great will become a “Good Morning America” co-anchor beginning in the fall. The ex-defensive end and his ABC bosses kept Kelly in the dark over their decision, which caused a giant rift between the two on-air partners and even led to a short-lived Ripa boycott.

Now it’s time to find Ripa another new co-host, beginning with the below bunch, we suppose.

Also Read: Michael Strahan on Last 'Live' With Kelly Ripa: 'I'm Still in the Family'

Here’s the full lineup of co-hosts and guests for next week, in ABC’s own words:

Monday, May 16: Late night host Jimmy Kimmel kicks off the week as Kelly’s first co-host. Kelly and Jimmy sit down with Chef Gordon Ramsay and “Quantico” star Priyanka Chopra. Plus, a performance by indie rock band American Authors.

Tuesday, May 17: “Empire” star Jussie Smollett is Kelly’s co-host this morning. Andy Samberg chats about the film “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” and Michael Weatherly discusses the series “NCIS.”

Also Read: Kelly Ripa Wants Anderson Cooper for 'Live,' ABC Says Not So Fast

Wednesday, May 18: Comedian Cedric the Entertainer joins Kelly as co-host today. Zac Efron talks about the film “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” and Josh Gad previews “The Angry Birds Movie.”

Thursday, May 19: Kelly’s co-host this morning is “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir. Julianne Moore speaks about the film “Maggie’s Plan,” and “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” star Rose Byrne visits.

Friday, May 20: Rounding out the week as co-host is “Hawaii Five-0” star Daniel Dae Kim. Kelly and Daniel interview Blake Shelton, who also performs for the “Live” audience, and Science Bob brings some fun experiments to the studio.

Also Read: Kelly Ripa Says 'Live!' Staff Was Blindsided by Michael Strahan's Exit, Too

“Live with Kelly” is distributed in national syndication by Disney|ABC Home Entertainment and TV Distribution. The show is produced by WABC-TV in New York and executive produced by Michael Gelman.

7 Potential Michael Strahan Replacements Ranked, From Most to Least Liked (Photos)

  • kelly ripa, michael strahan ABC
  • Michael Strahan
  • Joel McHale Getty
  • Anderson Cooper Getty
  • Taye Diggs CBS The Good Wife Getty
  • Deion Sanders Getty
  • Getty
  • Getty Images Getty
  • Regis Philbin on CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" CBS
1 of 9

Who should be Kelly Ripa’s new “Live!” co-host? Let’s look at the Positive Q Scores the industry uses to measure likeability

Look at the happy partners! Oh, right -- this is an old photo.

When he waves goodbye for good on May 13, Michael Strahan will prove tough for "Live!" to replace -- at least from a likability standpoint. We looked at Positive Q Scores the industry uses to rate how highly people think of a celebrity.

Also Read: Michael Strahan’s ‘Live!’ Exit: Look What’s Happened to Ratings

View In Gallery

Related Content