Swifties, get ready to be “enchanted” by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. USA TODAY can exclusively reveal that the Daytime Emmy Award-winning “Live!” The hosts reenact Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s fun day at the U.S. Open for the talk show’s annual Halloween special, which is celebrated with pop culture references.
Back in September, Swift and Kelsea attended a tennis tournament in New York, where The Darkness’ “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” played as rock tunes blared from the speakers at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. They sang and danced to the song and became a hot topic of conversation. Swift enthusiastically strummed her air guitar while wearing a gingham Reformation dress that matched her signature red pout. Kelce matched her energy with a quirky Gucci bucket hat and cardigan. “I feel like (Mr.) Magoo, the older cartoon character with bad eyesight,” he said, reviewing his wardrobe on the New Heights podcast.
Wearing cat-eye sunglasses and a plaid gown with soft waves, Ripa captures the essence of Swift, but Ripa isn’t convinced she nailed the role.
“Nobody gives off more Taylor vibes than me,” she modestly said in an interview, seated next to her co-host of the past 18 months and her husband of 28 years. “I’ve known Taylor Swift since she was a teenager and she first appeared on our show many, many years ago,” Ripa, 54, says. . She’s as charming, divine, and fun as ever. And she’s everything you ever thought she was. A very short clip of her dancing at the US Open can’t capture the essence of it, but at least I did my best on behalf of both of us to not embarrass her. ”
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After all, not everyone can sport red lips without worry. “I’m really scared of red lipstick on my teeth, red lipstick everywhere. I don’t want it to cross the line,” Ripa says. “So my lips almost turn red and I can barely move.”
Mr. Consuelos, 53, was as troubled by his thick fake mustache as the Gucci hats in his “Live” costume closet. “I don’t usually keep the real Gucci there,” Ripa jokes.
Consuelos said he and Kelce have never met, but the Super Bowl champion “seems like a great player and an interesting person.” But who knows? He might look at it and think, ‘Who is that short guy trying to make you think it’s me?’
“They had to make me stand on some boxes, which was really funny,” Consuelos reveals.
Ripa agreed, saying, “We were both put on a box because we were both so different in height compared to who we were in real life.”
The show has a “Halloween in the Building” theme, with hosts donning dozens of costumes.
“I hosted ‘SNL’ once in my life (in 2003), and I think our Halloween show is the closest thing to hosting ‘SNL’ than actually hosting ‘SNL.’ “I say that all the time,” Ripa says. “I come out and play the opening bit live and then throw in the song that was recorded on tape. I run backstage while the recorded song is playing and go into a commercial break. Once you have a recorded production, you have two minutes to change hair, makeup, wardrobe, costumes, and everything else, and then you have very little time to go back and do the next segment. That’s how the show goes.”
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As Consuelos’ concerns about last year’s Halloween show (his first) faded, so did his concerns about the daytime show. Consuelos will be replaced by Ryan Seacrest in April 2023 when the new “Wheel of Fortune” host leaves “Live” after six seasons.
“After a year and a half, I finally feel like I’m on my feet and I’m not so anxious before shows or interviews start,” Consuelos says. “Because I was scared of it, especially if it was someone really famous. I kind of froze up. Now I feel a little more comfortable asking a question or two. .”
Ripa couldn’t be more pleased with her husband’s performance. “He’s really, really fun to watch,” she said, eliciting a big smile from her partner. “During the show, I found myself watching him as if I were watching TV. It’s a real pleasure to work with him. He made us feel so safe and protected. It made me feel and energized and gave this place all sorts of new leases.”
