A 1995 screen test for All My Children resulted in a lasting marriage for Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.
The Live With Kelly and Mark cohosts’ relationship hasn’t faltered since they first locked eyes when Consuelos read for the part of Mateo Santos, who would eventually become Ripa’s character Hayley Vaughan’s onscreen love.
Shortly after meeting on the set of the soap opera, Consuelos and Ripa quietly began dating. “I thought she was adorable, hot and sexy and all that stuff,” Consuelos recalled during a 2014 interview with HuffPo Live.”But I was very focused — I didn’t really think I had a chance with her, so I wasn’t really focused on that.”
After getting to know each other, it didn’t take long for the duo to realize they were soulmates. During a date night in 1996 — which consisted of pizza and wine — Consuelos proposed marriage, and the two quickly jetted off to Las Vegas where they eloped.
One year after tying the knot, Ripa and Consuelos welcomed their first child, Michael, and went on to add two more children — daughter Lola and son Joaquin — to their family in 2001 and 2003, respectively.
