Kelly Ripa Appears On Wednesday’s Episode Of ‘Live!’ As Rumors She’s Threatening To Quit Swirl

Kelly Ripa danced her way onto “Live! With Kelly and Michael” on Wednesday’s installment of the syndicated talk show, but she may not be so happy-go-lucky behind the scenes.

Following her return to the show Tuesday following a brief hiatus after the announcement her co-star Michael Strahan is leaving in favor of “Good Morning America,” rumors are swirling that she’s considering an exit too. US Weekly reports that the 45-year-old host wants one of her friends Anderson Cooper or Andy Cohen to be her new co-anchor, or she may leave the show.

“Unless one of them can come on, she doesn’t really want to do it,” a source said, adding Ripa “is talking about leaving.”

Unfortunately for Ripa, her preferred co-stars might not be available. Cooper works for CNN and Cohen hosts Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live.” While ABC has yet to reveal who Strahan’s replacement will be, several names are being tossed around, including actor Jerry O’Connell and rapper Bow Wow.

Ripa did not address the rumors about her future with “Live!” on Wednesday. Instead, she and Strahan, 44, discussed her love for eyelash extensions, Prince’s death, running marathons and creating wills. They also played host to guests Ricky Gervais and Josh Hartnett.

When Ripa returned to “Live!” on Tuesday, she said she took a break from filming because she needed time to process Strahan’s announcement that he's moving to ABC’s “GMA” full time this fall.

“I needed a couple of days to gather my thoughts. After 26 years with this company, I earned the right,” Ripa, who is said to have learned about Strahan’s leave at the same time as the press, told the crowd. She added that in her time away “apologies” were made and conversations about respect in the workplace took place.

“This is my second home. This is a place that I've devoted myself,” she said. “We have an incredible team. We are incredibly devoted to one another. We are family.”