For five days next week, TV talk-show host Kelly Ripa will deliver a bit of winter relief to her millions of fans when she brings her syndicated show to Hawaii.
“Doing it from Hawaii is sort of a fantasy tune-in,” said Ripa, host of “LIVE! with Kelly,” in a phone call Monday. “Everybody is going to get a nice week away from the cold weather, from where they live.”
The show will be taped at a beachfront set at Aulani, the Disney resort at Ko Olina. Guests include “Glee” star Matthew Morrison and Jorge Garcia, who was part of “Lost” and now stars in “Alcatraz” on Fox.
Ripa’s first guest co-host will be Daniel Dae Kim, who stars as Chin Ho Kelly in “Hawaii Five-0.” And yes, she’s pretty darn thrilled about that, too.
“Daniel is adorable,” she said. “He is so likable, and he is easy on the eyes and he is a very interesting guy.”
Kim has been a guest on the show, and “LIVE!” has wanted him as a co-host for some time, but the actor’s “Five-0” schedule kept him busy, Ripa said.
‘LIVE!’ ON THE TELLY
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“We have been trying to get him to co-host forever, and so we had to come to Hawaii to make it happen,” Ripa said. “He is always a good talker, and that is what we are always trying to get: someone you enjoy having a good conversation with.”
“LIVE!” episodes will be taped on Sunday and Monday. The public can attend, but because all the advance tickets are gone, the only way to get in is to wait in a standby line. Kim’s episode will be taped at 9 a.m. Sunday for a Monday broadcast.
Honolulu native Carrie Ann Inaba, a judge on “Dancing with the Stars,” will be the guest co-host on the Feb. 22 show. That show will be taped at 9 a.m. Monday.
Ripa likens her show to a frothy cappuccino. If that’s the case, she is surely the sugar — effervescent, sweet and full of nonstop energy. The actress-turned-host has been part of the show since 2001 when she joined Regis Philbin. Together they were part of “Live with Regis and Kelly” until Philbin retired in November.
Ripa came to the show from the world of daytime soap operas. She was on “All My Children” for 10 years. The 41-year-old wife and mother of three did not expect the gig would last this long.
“I never thought I was any good at it,” she said. “I didn’t think I was cut out for it. It is a little strange to go from acting and break the fourth wall and talk to the audience. It seems weird and strange, but over time I have grown to love it.”
And the hours are great. Her day typically starts with a visit to hair and makeup at 8 a.m., and she’s on her way home by lunchtime. She has time for her family and to work with her husband, Mark Consuelos, at their production company, Milojo Productions.
“I really do find this is the perfect job for a working parent,” said Ripa. “It allows you to raise your children and earn a living. I am able to get my kids from school and take them to their after-school activities. I used to work on a soap opera and the hours were way too long.”
Ripa will bring the whole family to Hawaii. They’re packing swimsuits and homework. And birthday gifts: Her youngest, Joaquin, will turn 9 during the trip.