Ryan Seacrest Had Been Contemplating Leaving ‘Live With Kelly And Ryan’ For Years, Source Says

Ryan Seacrest shocked fans last week with his announcement he was leaving Live with Kelly & Ryan after this season. But for everyone who worked on the show it was a relief months in the making! Not because they dislike him, of course — because they were worried!

Kelly Ripa is a proud mom to her three children, Michael, Lola and Joaquin, and has previously spoken about encouraging them to follow in her and her husband Mark Consuelos' footsteps in making their own way in the working world. Their 21-year-old daughter, Lola, is set to do exactly that this year as she prepares to graduate from New York University.Lola - who recently moved back home having spent a few months away in London for a study abroad program - is likely to carve out a career in the music industry.  Lola is set to graduate from college this yearThe aspiring musician showed off her impressive singing voice when she released her debut single, Paranoia Silverlining, last year. TRENDING: Kelly Ripa's proud mom moment as son Michael lands major new roleOn why she wants to try her hand at becoming a professional musician, Lola previously told Billboard during a chat about her debut song: "I've always loved music and I've always loved singing. I think a lot of artists would understand that finding your sound is a really difficult thing, and this was a song that I felt like sounded like me finally. "Once I wrote a song that resonated with what I wanted my sound to be, I knew I had to release it." Kelly and Mark with their three childrenSpeaking about her mom and dad's unwavering support, she added: "They hear me sing all the time.MOST READ: Inside Kelly Ripa's public fallout with Michael Strahan"They were like, 'Lola, you need to put something out there.' So when I finally had something that I really liked, they were just super excited for me."All three of Kelly and Mark's children are incredibly self-sufficient - something that their parents have encouraged.

Goldie Hawn loves nothing more than spending time with her family - and they are all incredibly supportive of each other!MOST READ: Inside Kelly Ripa's public fallout with Michael StrahanThe Hollywood star and her partner Kurt Russell have jetted off to New York City this week to go and visit their grandson, Ryder Robson.Ryder - who is the son of Kate Hudson and her ex Chris Robinson - moved from LA to the Big Apple in September to study at New York University, and will no doubt have been thrilled to see his loved ones.VIDEO: Meet Goldie Hawn's adorable grandchildrenAlso on the trip was proud mom Kate and her fiancé Danny Fujikawa, along with their three-year-old daughter Rani Rose, who were pictured lining up to visit The Whitney in Chelsea, in photos obtained by Mail Online.MOST READ: Amy Robach's former stepson shares glimpse inside his incredible homeMOST READ: Celine Dion's waterpark home she gave up for new life revealedGoldie and Kurt are very close to all their grandchildren, and lived just a block away from Ryder and his siblings.Goldie gushed to Australian Women's Weekly last October that she believes "A good family is the answer to happiness", sweetly adding that "being a grandmother is amazing, I love it. It brings incredible joy.

Kelly Ripa has faced a lot of changes this year - and it's only February!MOST READ: Inside Kelly Ripa's public fallout with Michael StrahanLast Thursday, it was announced that her Live co-star of six years, Ryan Seacrest, would be departing the ABC daytime show at the end of this season.Kelly will instead be joined by her husband, Mark Consuelos, and the pair made sure to mark the big change in style this weekend.VIDEO: Inside Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos' unique love storyThe doting parents took a trip out of New York City to Michigan, where their youngest son Joaquin, 19, is studying.MORE: Kelly Ripa reveals surprise injury while visiting son Joaquin live on showMORE: Kelly Ripa's daughter Lola moves back home - and it has a surprise impact on her famous parentsThe pair posed for photos with the Michigan Stromtrooper - The Michigan Wolverines' mascot - which is the team that talented wrestler Joaquin plays for.Visiting Joaquin is something that Kelly and Mark enjoy doing on a regular basis, and had just come back from seeing him last month, when Mark made a surprise appearance on Live to cover for Ryan last minute. Kelly Ripa was all smiles as she returned to Michigan - where son Joaquin livesThe famous couple are also parents to son Michael, 25, and daughter Lola, 21, who both live in NYC.

reports Entertainment Weekly. It was announced Thursday that Seacrest, 48, would leave the daytime talk show after six years and focus on hosting the singing show “American Idol. “This is something that [Kelly] and I have been talking about for a long time, and it was a tough, tough decision,” Seacrest stated.

Denise Richards is a doting mom and was given the fright of her life last year involving her middle daughter, Lola Sheen.MOST READ: Celine Dion's waterpark home she gave up for new life revealedThe RHOBH star - who shares Lola, 17, and Sami, 18, with ex-husband Charlie Sheen - faced a worrying situation last summer when Lola was involved in a car crash.The teenager drove her Volkswagen into an embankment in LA while driving with three passengers.VIDEO: Denise Richards sparks concern with beauty videoA spokesperson for the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station told The Sun that the police and the California Highway Patrol worked together after receiving reports about a car going "over the edge" on a road near the Santa Monica mountains.POPULAR: How Michael Strahan supported T.J. Holmes' ex-wife following Amy Robach affair newsMORE: Kelly Ripa reacts to Live! co-star's long-awaited baby newsLuckily, Lola escaped with no severe injuries, but the incident will no doubt have shaken her, as well as her family.Shortly after the accident, the teen took to social media to share a cryptic message about being kind to yourself.

The couple that works together, stays together! Mark Consuelos is set to join his wife, Kelly Ripa, at the Live anchor desk full-time — and he doesn’t foresee any marital issues as a result.

Mark Consuelos appeared on on Friday, one day after news broke that the 51-year-old actor would be joining his wife, Kelly Ripa, as a permanent co-host on her long-running talk show. He will be replacing Ryan Seacrest, who announced on Thursday that he was exiting the show after six years. Consuelos stepped out onto the stage, declaring he had «no second thoughts» about joining his wife on the syndicated program. «I will have a list of grievances,» he quipped.

Kelly Ripa has ensconced herself behind the desk at — from auditioning for four months and ultimately becoming Regis Philbin's permanent co-host, to later joining forces with the likes of Michael Strahan and Ryan Seacrest.Following Philbin's departure in November 2011, there was a revolving door of guest co-hosts — from Jerry Seinfeld, Neil Patrick Harris and Michael Bublé to Seth Meyers, Mary J. Blige and Andy Cohen — before producers landed on Strahan as Ripa's next permanent co-host.

Christian Siriano wants everyone to dress up more. The fashion designer is “bringing back glamour.” 

Ryan Seacrest has a lot of support! On Thursday, the multi-hyphenate announced that he would be leaving  after six seasons on the show, and Kelly Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, would be stepping in.While Seacrest has made the move to spend more time on his work in Los Angeles, the decision also puts him closer to his girlfriend, Aubrey Paige.

A morning staple! Since Live premiered, the talk show has had a history of hosts from Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford to Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest.

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Ryan Seacrest is feeling the love.

Changing it up! Ryan Seacrest received an outpouring of love from Tamron Hall, Kelly Ripa and more after announcing his exit as cohost from Live With Kelly and Ryan on Thursday, February 16.

Ready for his close-up! Mark Consuelos is looking forward to his new gig as wife Kelly Ripa‘s Live cohost as Ryan Seacrest exits the morning show.

Stepping into Ryan Seacrest’s shoes is a big job.

he would be stepping down as Kelly Ripa's co-host. While the decision might feel sudden to fans, the 48-year-old had actually been thinking about making the change for years.«Ryan has been contemplating leaving the show for years and has been very conflicted,» a source tells ET. «He truly loves working with Kelly and the crew.