How did Kelly Ripa become famous?
Kelly Ripa has had a pretty interesting career trajectory. She began her TV career with local station appearances, most notably the PHL17 dance show Dancing on Air. The series was later picked up by the USA Network and renamed Dance Party USA. This gave Ripa her first national TV exposure in 1986 when she appeared as a dancer on the series.
Her first major acting role came a few years later in 1990 when she landed the role of Hayley Vaughan on All My Children, which she held until 2002. The series gave Ripa her first mild taste of fame, especially with soap opera fans.
Her mainstream fame came when she replaced Kathie Lee Gifford as Regis Philbin’s co-host for the daytime talk show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, which was renamed Live! with Regis and Kelly beginning in November 2000 with her officially taking over the job in February 2001. Ripa still holds this position today, though the co-host position alongside her has gone through a few different iterations.
What is Kelly Ripa’s net worth in 2025?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, in 2025 Kelly Ripa has a net worth of $120 million. Ripa has earned this money through her success as an actor, television producer, and author, but mainly through her longstanding gig as a daytime TV talk show host on Live! Considering Ripa has held that position for over 20 years, it makes sense she has built this small fortune.
How much does Kelly Ripa make a year?
The amount that Kelly Ripa earns each year depends on the number of projects she has her hand in each year, acting, hosting, and otherwise. We do know she earns around $20 million a year just for her hosting gig at Live!. That means she likely earns in the range of $20 million to $30 million or more with all of her income streams counted, including brand sponsorship deals and anything else she has signed on for.
How much does Kelly Ripa make on Live! with Kelly and Ryan?
Kelly Ripa reportedly earns in the $20 million range each year for her hosting position on Live! with Kelly. She has held this position since officially being named the co-host of the program in February 2001 and her salary has gone up accordingly.
Ripa has not had an easy time when it comes to hosting the show—she wasn’t even given an office for her first years there! She told Variety, “It was the strangest experience I’ve ever had in my life. I was told that I couldn’t have an office. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense, especially because there were empty offices that I could have easily occupied.”
She revealed that after her fourth year hosting, the network put a desk in a janitor’s closet for her, but she still had other obstacles on set. In fact, Ripa had to use the public restroom along with audience members. “We have a studio audience—like 250 people!—and I have to queue up. Particularly when I was pregnant, it was extraordinarily exhausting to have to wait in line. I have to host the show, and I’m still waiting in line to use the bathroom. It just seemed, you know, a very needlessly difficult situation.”
