TV presenter Ryan Seacrest was forced to step back from his role on Live with Kelly and Ryan over fears of exhaustion and burn out, it has been claimed.
Ryan, 48, has been presenting the programme alongside co-host Kelly Ripa since 2018 but announced he was stepping down earlier this week.
The TV icon also presents his radio show On Air With Ryan Seacrest and American Idol, and has previously cited exhaustion for missing episodes of Live.
ABC bosses have brought on Mark Consuelos, husband of Ryan's co-host Kelly Ripa, to replace Ryan whilst he steps away from the daytime show. Mark has often stood in for Ryan when he's been unable to appear on the programme, including a full week last October.
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An insider told Page Six : "Some of Ryan’s absences created tension with everyone involved on the show. But everyone cares about him and respects him and just wants to make sure he’s OK."
Ryan had previously sparked fears that he may be overdoing his work commitments, which often mean travel between LA and NYC as well as various locations for American Idol as it visits cities for auditions.
The source shared: "He’s not quite burned out, but he knows himself [and knows] he needs a break. In the last couple of years he’s valued his time off with his family and his loved ones."
Ryan announced he would be leaving Live on Thursday's episode (Thursday 16 Feb) live on air, as he said: "Last year we spoke and I made the decision to make this my last season as co-host."
Co-host Kelly Ripa said: "You are a gem. You are one of my best friends. The greatest part of this experience has been that you’ve gone from being a friend to a family member.
"You are family. We love you. We are so proud of you. I know how much of a sacrifice it’s been. I know how exhausting it’s been going back and forth [from New York to L.A.]."
A source told Entertainment Today : "Ryan has been contemplating leaving the show for years and has been very conflicted.
"He truly loves working with Kelly and the Live crew. However, with American Idol 's upcoming season filming in Los Angeles and other opportunities, he felt leaving the show was the right thing to do."
The source added: "In 2020, Ryan suffered from exhaustion and was burnt out and he's trying to avoid that from happening again.
"Choosing Mark as Kelly's new co-host was easy. The network and Kelly wanted to avoid her and a new co-host not hitting it off. Mark and Kelly have hosted before and it's always gone well with fan reaction."
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