Kelly Ripa says she is 'always thinking about retiring' ahead of husband Mark Consuelos' first day as cohost of 'Live with Kelly and Mark'

• Kelly Ripa told Entertainment Weekly that retirement is something she "is always thinking about."
• Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos will join as the new cohost of "LIVE With Kelly and Mark" on Monday.
• Ryan Seacrest announced he would be leaving the show back in February and ended his run on Friday. 

Despite her husband Mark Consuelos joining her as her show's newest cohost, Kelly Ripa admitted that retirement is always top-of-mind. 

In an interview Entertainment Weekly's Gerrad Hall published Sunday, Ripa was asked about her feelings regarding retirement and the addition of her husband to the show. 

"Every time you get a new cohost, it's like a little jolt of energy. But to be clear, I am always thinking about retiring. It is my favorite topic of discussion," Ripa said. 

However, she admits that Consuelos joining the show is an incentive to stay. 

"A daily morning live talk show is nothing without its consistency and continuity. And Mark provides that, not just for our audience, but for me, for our producers. And so if anybody could make me stay, it is definitely Mark," Ripa told Hall.

While she has no plans of retiring right now, Ripa believes the show could exist without her. 

"But make no mistake, I do see a vision of the show without me. I am not one of these people that is like, 'The show can't go on without me.' I am a fan of 'Live' since before I got there," Ripa said. 

Ripa and Consuelos have been married for 27 years and share three children together: Michael, 25, Lola, 21, and Joaquin, 20.

The show, now called "LIVE with Kelly and Mark," was previously cohosted by Ryan Seacrest. 

Seacrest announced that he would be leaving the show, with Consuelos as his replacement, back in February. 

On Friday, Seacrest's last show before Consuelos takes over Monday, Seacrest passed the baton by handing Consuelos his coffee mug. 

Ripa paid tribute to Seacrest with a video montage posted to her Instagram.

"I'm not crying, it's just allergies. Thank you for taking this wild ride with us @ryanseacrest. We love you and look forward to seeing you soon!" her caption read.

 

Ripa previously cohosted the program with Regis Philbin from 2001 to 2011 and with former NFL player and "GMA" host Michael Strahan from 2012 to 2016. 

"LIVE With Kelly and Mark" airs on weekdays on ABC.