More Hunky Candidates

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Regis Philbin retiring from 'Live' prompts question of who could replace him on ABC show

BY Soraya Roberts
Daily News Staff Writer

Tuesday, January 18th 2011, 4:13 PM


WireImage; Getty; FilmMagic
Regis Philbin's replacement for 'Live' could be Anderson Cooper (l.), Mark Consuelos (r.), co-host
Kelly Ripa's hubby, or even Jeff Probst (r.), if he can tear himself away from 'Survivor.'
With Regis Philbin leaving "Live with Regis and Kelly" later this year, ABC-Disney is set to name a replacement to join his co-host of ten years, Kelly Ripa.

Larry King has put his name forward, offering to fill Regis' chair for a while if needed. But while the suspendered-one had his moment, that was about 20 years ago.

So, allow us to offer up some alternative suggestions: Here, the eight guys to sit opposite Kelly Ripa.

Mark Consuelos: Mr. Ripa (who has been married to Kelly since 1996; the couple has three children) is the only former Philbin fill-in who appears to have no other commitments, though he is set to star in an ABC comedy he and Ripa are developing called "Port Love." The 39-year-old "All My Children" alum has hosted two NBC dating shows, has filled in for Philbin several times and, obviously, has chemistry with Ripa. He is also pretty easy on the eyes.

Anderson Cooper: The anchor for CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" has the advantage of working in New York and having a long history in journalism. He co-hosted the show with Ripa in 2007 to much success while Philbin underwent triple-bypass heart surgery, though he recently announced that he will start hosting his own talk show, "Anderson," in September.

Jeff Probst: After Ryan Seacrest, the 48-year-old host of "Survivor" is the most qualified for another hosting job. He has filled in for Philbin several times and, in 2005, the "Live" host joked that Probst was aiming to take over from him. The only hitch? As of February of last year, the three-time Emmy Award winner had signed on to host two more seasons of "Survivor."

Ryan Seacrest: Famous for juggling his duties on E!, "American Idol" and his own radio show in Los Angeles, Seacrest would take over Philbin's title of "most hardworking man in show business" if he were to take the job located in New York. He won a Daytime Emmy in 2006 for co-hosting the 2005 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade with Philbin and Ripa and filled in for the former. In 2008, reports circulated that he would be replacing Philbin as host of the show.

Neil Patrick Harris: The star of "How I Met Your Mother," who filled in for Philbin as recently as Jan. 7, has proven his hosting chops are the crème de la crème having hosted the Tony Awards, the Emmy Awards and appearing at the Academy Awards. But would he give up his day job as the award-winning member of the "Mother" cast?

Jeff Gordon: He has already co-hosted the show over ten times and in 2003 Gordon became the first NASCAR driver to host "Saturday Night Live." Considered one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers, the 39-year-old Californian may want to move on from racing as he has already been indicted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

Ricky Gervais: If ABC has plans to shake things up, British comedian Ricky Gervais would fit the bill. The 49-year-old "Office" creator proved to be a boon for the Golden Globes on Sunday night, ripping apart Hollywood and slightly raising the ratings as host for the second time. But he may have proven himself to be a bit too controversial for "Live" viewers.

Wayne Brady: The only minority next to Consuelos, Brady has proven he can think on his feet as a regular on the improvisational comedy series "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" He has also proven himself as a host, having helmed his own daytime talk show for three years, and hosted "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" for two years. He currently hosts CBS' "Let's Make a Deal" in Los Angeles.