UPDATE: Ryan Seacrest is back on TV after testing negative for coronavirus.
On Wednesday, Oct. 21, the host returned to Live With Kelly and Ryan to explain his absence. “Thank you for covering,” Seacrest said to co-host Kelly Ripa. “Following strict protocol, got the negative test results for COVID. Makes you feel very good.”
Ripa assured her pal, “I didn’t have any doubts.”
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2020 has given new meaning to the phrase, “The show must go on.”
Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, people have faced a variety of new hurdles in their daily life—and Hollywood is no different. With new protocols in place to combat the spread of the illness, work is a bit trickier these days, including shooting a daytime talk show. While practically every show has bid farewell to having a full audience, other standards have been set for getting into the building at all—just ask Ripa and Seacrest. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Ripa kicked off Live solo, but it wasn’t long before she addressed the absence of her co-host.
“Ryan is out today,” she told viewers. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are waiting—he had a COVID test and we’re just waiting for the results.” She noted there are “all of these new restrictions now,” including that they have to wait for negative test results to be able to get into the studio.
“You’re welcome, everyone,” she quipped before putting jokes aside. “We take it seriously—it’s public health.”
