Mark Consuelos has shared the reason Kelly Ripa was missing from Live with Kelly and Mark, giving viewers a brief update on her recovery after a dental procedure.
During the July 27 episode, Consuelos appeared without his usual co-host beside him, while Kevin Jonas stepped in to join him at the desk. The guest lineup for the week also listed Jonas for Monday, July 27, alongside Common and Mary Beth Barone.
Since taking over as co-hosts together in 2023, Ripa and Consuelos have become a regular on-screen pairing, having also popped up together in projects such as Riverdale and Hope & Faith over the years.
Because of that, her absence stood out straight away. As soon as Jonas joined him, Consuelos addressed it by saying: “Kelly sends her love.”
He then explained the situation, saying: “Kelly had a little bit — well, it’s not a little — she had a gum graft surgery.”
A gum graft is a common periodontal procedure used to treat thinning gums or gum recession, covering exposed tooth roots and adding volume to the gum line.
Consuelos added that this was not a sudden decision and that Ripa had actually been told years ago that she would eventually need it.
“Her dentist said five years ago, ‘You can do it in about five years,’” Consuelos said, adding: “And she joked, ‘I didn’t think I’d still be on the air in five years!’”
He reassured the audience that she is recovering well, but explained that her doctor has given her a clear instruction not to speak for now, which is why she is away from the show.
Jonas responded with a joke: “Wow. That’s got to be the hardest thing she’s ever done,” Jonas joked with Consuelos, who called her “a great conversationalist” and revealed: “I’m trying to keep her to follow the rules, follow the directions.”
The conversation then turned to how uncomfortable the recovery has been. When asked whether she was in pain, Consuelos admitted: “Yeah, it’s painful,” Consuelos, and father-of-three, said of his wife: “But she famously doesn’t feel pain. When she goes into the dentist, she doesn’t use the novocaine. But this one hurts, so I know it’s bad.”
Jonas said his wife, Danielle Jonas, is much the same, explaining: “I’ll be like, ‘Are you in pain?’ She’s like, ‘I’m fine!’ Come to find out her foot’s, like, falling off,” he joked. “Well, they do have kids. They deliver kids,” Consuelos said. “We’re not built for that.”
According to Cleveland Clinic, gum graft recovery usually takes about one to two weeks, though people can often return to work or school within a day or two. In more involved cases, recovery can take longer, and patients are typically advised to avoid strenuous activity for at least the first week.
In many cases, the grafting material comes from the roof of the patient’s mouth, unless donor tissue is being used instead.
It does not sound especially pleasant.