Kelly Ripa’s next partner might be a woman – Regis Philbin leaves the show late summer

Kelly Ripa could very well be joined by a woman on Live when Regis Philbin leaves late summer. Philbin announced Tuesday that he’ll be retiring after 28 years.

And the search is already on for his replacement. “The show can definitely survive without Regis if they find Kelly the right new co-host,” a source told the PopEater website.

“For some time they have been unofficially testing out potential replacements on the show. Neil Patrick Harris, Anderson Cooper and even Kelly’s husband, Mark, have filled in; yet no one was as good as Regis.

“I would anticipate that they would likely go with someone who is closer in age to her with the idea that they are going to do it for another 10 years or so.

“I would think they would look for someone with the type of longevity she might have.

“The incredible success that the Today show is having with Kathie Lee and Hoda is a model everyone is trying to copy.

“Kelly has a ton of girlfriends and is totally open to the idea of sitting next to a woman every morning. Plus, this way you are not trying to replace a legend but rather take the show in a different direction.”

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