Kelly Ripa finally returns to “Live With Kelly and Mark” for first time in over 1 month after painful gum surgery
Kelly Ripa finally returns to “Live With Kelly and Mark” for first time in over 1 month after painful gum surgery
Joey NolfiTue, September 8, 2026 at 1:08 PM UTC
35
Kelly Ripa returns to ‘Live With Kelly and Mark’Credit: ABCKey Points -
Kelly Ripa made her long-awaited return to Live With Kelly and Mark for the season 39 premiere.
The 55-year-old weathered an extended absence after undergoing painful gum surgery in July.
Ripa and Consuelos subsequently appeared in pre-taped episodes that aired through August.
Daytime TV queen Kelly Ripa has finally returned to her throne on Live With Kelly and Mark.
The 55-year-old and husband-cohost Mark Consuelos kicked off the show’s season 39 premiere Tuesday morning, marking Ripa’s first appearance on a live show since July.
Consuelos earlier revealed on the air that his wife — who first joined Live with the late Regis Philbin in 2001 — would miss several live installments after undergoing painful gum surgery, which resulted in doctors barring her from talking as she recovered from the procedure.
“It is the first day of our 39th season!” Ripa said to a cheering audience, after walking out to set while holding Consuelos’ hand, before joking: “This will be my 26th season. And, guys, more importantly, it is Mark’s fourth season.”
Kelly Ripa returns to ‘Live With Kelly and Mark’ with Mark ConsuelosCredit: ABC
Consuelos joked that his fourth season marked the end of his “presidential term,” and the couple also bantered about having to “relearn how to wear shoes” after so much time off.
“I’m lazier than ever before,” Ripa said of their multi-week break. “We got to see all three of our kids for four days, together, it was amazing. Not a single fight erupted!”
Several stars filled in for Ripa after Consuelos announced her absence, including Mila Kunis, Kevin Jonas, Carrie Coon, Michelle Buteau, Pamela Adlon, and more.
Entertainment Weekly later reported that Ripa would miss at least two weeks of the show, with pre-taped installments airing throughout August featuring Ripa from segments filmed earlier in the year. The show also went on its annual between-season hiatus that month, before season 39 premieres Tuesday.
In another pre-taped episode of her Let’s Talk Off Camera podcast, Ripa detailed what was then her upcoming surgery, which she said was necessary as a result of her own over-brushing.
Advertisement
Ripa told interview guest Buteau that she wouldn’t be “allowed to talk for 10 days” because “they take the skin off of the roof of your mouth and they put it [over your gums]” during the procedure.
“I’m an over-brusher. I brush my teeth too much. It’s a good bad habit,” she continued. “So, they’ve got to re-gum my gums!”
Buteau lauded Ripa for being proactive about her health, though the latter cautioned her against heaping on the praise.
“Before you praise me, I was supposed to do it five years ago. But, now, just so you know, the doctor was like, ‘Now, you don’t have the luxury of time!’” Ripa joked.
Upon the initial announcement, Consuelos suggested that he knew his wife of over 30 years was in a great deal of pain because of how she handled the recovery. He told the audience that Ripa “famously doesn’t feel pain,” and revealed that she even declines numbing medication when she goes to the dentist.
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
“But this one hurts,” he admitted, referencing her pain tolerance. “So, I know it’s bad.”
Live With Kelly and Mark airs weekdays in syndication. Check local listings for showtimes in your area.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
