Mark Consuelos Addresses Kelly Ripa’s Retirement Comments: ‘She’s Having a Good Time’ (Exclusive)

Mark Consuelos is enjoying his time with his wife, Kelly Ripa, as they co-host Live with Kelly and Mark — and he doesn’t see that lovefest coming to an end any time soon.

Consuelos recently sat down in studio with ET’s Nischelle Turner, and reflected on his marriage to Ripa, as well as their experience co-hosting the daytime news talk show.

“Listen, I married way above my station. I’m the luckiest guy, I found her and I’m like ‘I’m hanging on for dear life,'” Consuelos shared with a smile. “Hopefully she feels the same way!”

The loving husband also addressed remarks Ripa made last month in which she said she’s been thinking about the possibility of retirement “with great interest” but isn’t planning to make the big change quite yet.

“I think it’s a real thing,” Consuelos said of his wife’s contemplation of stepping back from the TV spotlight. “She’s been at that for 23 years.”

“I don’t think it’s gonna be anytime soon,” he added. “I know she’s having a good time, I’m having a really, really good time. But at some point, yeah.”

Consuelos added, “When she does decide to walk away, no one’s earned it more than her.”

“She’s been working her butt off since she was like 12 or 13 years old, and she got into the business at 18, and so it’s been a long ride,” he said.  “[But] she’s having a blast now.”

And Consuelos appears to be having a blast as well, seated next to his wife as they man the helm of their popular talk show.

“I love the show because I know it’s always going to be fun,” he said. “I know that she’s not going to let me fail. She has chemistry with everybody, and I feel supported — and I think she feels the same way with me next to her.”

Along with the show, Consuelos was very enthusiastic about his role as the Grand Marshal of the Mexican Independence Day Parade, which was held on Sunday in East Los Angeles.

“For me, it’s a way to honor my Mexican heritage — I’m so proud of it — and to honor my father, who is Mexican,” Consuelos shared.

He said he is honored and excited to “be part of something that is such a big part of the fabric of Los Angeles and the Mexican community here. I know I’m going to have some good food, good music, it’s going to be a blast.”

As for Ripa’s headline-grabbing retirement comments back in August, the longtime TV personality shared her thoughts on her future in the industry in an interview with Cristina Cuomo for wellness outlet The Purist.

“I think the risk-averse quality I have is probably the reason I stayed with the same job for so long,” Ripa shared at the time. “Other offers come along, but I like to stick with what I know. I am very steadfast in everything I do, and so when you have me, you have me for life.

“Having said that, I don’t intend to work at this job for the rest of my life,” she added. “I do talk about retirement with great interest, but right now I’m very happy, especially working with Mark.”

For more on Conseulos and Ripa’s adorable romance and working relationship, check out the video below.

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