Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are keeping a positive spirit despite the “irritating” critics.
As previously reported on Monsters and Critics, their debut episode of Live with Kelly and Mark was met with mixed reviews.
Mark replaced the departing Ryan Seacrest, who wanted to focus on his hosting gig on American Idol.
In their first week, the pair got slammed on social media for their on-air PDA and for divulging too much detail about their romantic life.
In addition, viewers were not pleased that their Thursday and Friday episodes were pre-recorded.
Page Six reports that a source in the production of the series said Kelly and Mark were “irritated” by the complaints.
However, it is reportedly nothing new for Kelly, who has hosted the Live series for over two decades.
“Kelly’s been through this before — with every new co-host!” the production source told the outlet, continuing, “If it wasn’t Mark — say it was Andy Cohen — it would be the same exact story.”
How Mark Consuelos will help Kelly Ripa stay unretired
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kelly opened up about her 20th anniversary as a co-host of Live and her comment about considering retirement before Ryan Secrest joined her six years ago.
The 52-year-old said she is “always” thinking about retirement and compared a new co-host to a “little jolt of energy.”
She described how working with her husband provided “consistency and continuity” for herself and the audience. She quipped, “If anybody could make me stay, it is definitely Mark.”
In the interview, EW noted that Kelly is eight years away from breaking Maury Povich’s record of 31 seasons as a host and whether she is interested in attempting to pass it.
The Live co-host laughed and responded, “I do not.”
Since Mark’s debut, the pair have gushed about working alongside each other, with Kelly praising her hubby.
Live with Kelly and Mark is reportedly a rating hit despite criticism
While the couple is getting heat online, viewers are tuning in for the long-standing franchise after Mark joined last week.
An ABC source told Page Six that their debut week was the most viewed in nearly three years in New York.
The network reportedly hopes that Mark’s role in the hit CW series Riverdale will entice a younger demographic to tune in.
“Kelly and Mark’s first week has already made a positive impact at ‘Live,’ both for our entire team and viewers at home,” Disney Entertainment’s Debra O’Connell said in a statement:
O-Connell added that the show experienced a “double-digit” rating growth in key demographics.