Kelly Ripa's First Guest Hosts: Who Had the Best TV Ratings?

Hey Jimmy Kimmel, if you ever want to quit that whole late-night thing, there’s probably a permanent morning show gig with your name on it.

And Jussie Smollett, should “Empire” ever end, you’re likely ABC’s early second choice to replace Michael Strahan on “Live!” (Then again, the singer could just quit the hit Fox hip-hop soap opera soon, which has been reported as an actual possibility.)

Kelly Ripa‘s first wave of guest co-hosts now have their syndicated TV ratings in the books, and the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” host scored a comfortable lead over the others. Smollett was two-tenths of a point behind him.

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

On Monday, May 16, Kimmel helped “Live With Kelly” haul in a 3.3 rating, per Nielsen. The next day, Jussie Smollett nabbed a 3.1 rating, which is six percent lower.

On Wednesday, Cedric the Entertainer‘s chance slipped to a 3.0, though he avoided the basement — over the next two days, David Muir and Daniel Dae Kim both received 2.9s, respectively.

Of course, there are factors other than simple co-host popularity factoring in here. Intrigue would clearly be higher the first episode, which Kimmel was granted. Plus, viewing levels are lower towards the end of the week — and even guests could also inspire tune-in or a lack thereof.

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

Here are the guests that were scheduled for each day:

Monday (Kimmel): Gordon Ramsay, Priyanka Chopra
Tuesday (Smollett): Andy Samberg, Michael Weatherly
Wednesday (Cedric): Zac Efron, Josh Gad
Thursday (Muir): Julianne Moore, Rose Byrne
Friday (Kim): Blake Shelton, Science Bob

Across the five days, “Live With Kelly” dipped 9 percent from Strahan’s final week, but its 3.0 average was still up from the show’s season average and from the same week last year. “Live” finished runner-up to “Dr. Phil,” trailing by just one-tenth of a ratings point.

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

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
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Michael Strahan: Let's start with the departing host. The former NFL great boasts a very strong 21 Positive Q Score. That's a full four points better than anyone else on our list of possible replacements, and a hell of a lot higher than Kelly Ripa's uninspiring 13. No wonder he's always smiling.
Joel McHale: Mathematically, McHale is the best replacement on our list, as he has the most comparable-to-Strahan appeal among young adults -- particularly women 18-34, a needed demo for "Live!"

McHale's lackluster scores among the female 50-plus segment can be offset by Ripa's skew to the demo. A perfect match!

Positive Q Score: 17
Total Familiar: 21

Also Read: Maury Povich Thinks Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan Are Divas
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Anderson Cooper: Everyone loves Anderson Cooper, right? Well, not entirely.

About 14 percent of those polled by the Q Scores Company consider the CNN personality one of their favorites. And almost-everyone knows Cooper -- his 66 familiarity score is tops on our list.

Cooper's appeal skews older, which means those who like Ripa should also like Anderson.

Positive Q Score: 14
Total Familiar: 66

Also Read: Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, ‘General Hospital’ Win Daytime Emmys
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Taye Diggs: Diggs not only has camera-ready looks, he's a genuinely charming fella. We doubt any women in the studio audience or watching along at home would complain about seeing Taye everyday. His Positive Q Score makes him a pretty safe choice.

Positive Q Score: 13
Total Familiar: 45

Also Read: Neil Patrick Harris and Other Possible Replacements for Michael Strahan on ‘Live’ (Video)
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Deion Sanders: The NFL already produced one big star for the series -- Sanders could be its next. (Insert your own joke about "Primetime" heading to daytime here.)

As a football player, "Neon" Deion is beloved by men -- not the show's key demo, but it sure worked for Strahan.

Sanders and Diggs are tied with the same Positive Q Score among those 18-plus. The two gentlemen actually have an eerily similar recognition level as well, separated by just one point. (Diggs tops Sanders in the order we ranked the two because of rounding differences.)

Also Read: Lewis Black Jokingly Auditions to Be Kelly Ripa’s New ‘Live’ Co-Host (Video)

Positive Q Score: 13
Total Familiar: 46
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Mario Lopez: The "Saved By the Bell" alum hosts seemingly every other show, so what's one more?

Lopez falls just below the Kelly Ripa Line, and his 12 Q Score is nowhere near Strahan's 21. But the actor behind A.C. Slater is quite well-known, and as we already mentioned, he's not exactly lacking experience.

Positive Q Score: 12
Total Familiar: 62

Also Read: The End of ‘Live With Kelly and Michael': A Timeline (Photos)
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Mark Consuelos: Potential nepotism at its finest!

Ripa's husband has co-hosted "Live!" many times, though his relatively low recognition and so-so-at-best Q Score could keep him out of the passenger seat permanently. Though, speaking of driving, wouldn't that be a convenient New York City carpool?

Another saving grace here could be Mark's strength among millennials, a trait he shares with McHale.

Positive Q Score: 11
Total Familiar: 20

Also Read: Michael Strahan Moves Up His Last Day on ‘Live’ With Kelly Ripa
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Regis Philbin: Thinking Reg might come back to his former show? Not so fast. Philbin's Positive Q Score among millennials is a mere 5. Have they forgotten the glory days of Regis and Kathie Lee?

Positive Q Score: 9
Total Familiar: 61

Also Read: ABC Execs Apologize to Kelly Ripa Over Handling of Michael Strahan Announcement
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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

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