After nearly three decades of marriage, Kelly Ripa still isn’t holding back when it comes to the quirks and realities of her relationship with Mark Consuelos.
And during her appearance on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast, she got hilariously honest about one particular issue: her husband’s insistence on early-morning intimacy.
Morning Affection? Not So Fast
Kelly, 54, made it clear — she is not a fan of romance before sunrise.
In fact, she described her husband’s preference for morning sex as downright “disgusting.” She didn’t just mean sex either.
Mark, also 54, likes to go in for a kiss the moment he wakes up — which Kelly finds less than appealing.
“I have a retainer in. He’s wearing nasal strips. We’re literally the most repulsive, disgusting people in the morning,” she joked. “And I’m already pre-disgusted for tomorrow morning.”
Setting Boundaries with Humor (and Honesty)
Ripa said she eventually had to lay down some ground rules with her husband of 29 years — especially now that they work together every weekday as co-hosts on Live with Kelly and Mark.
She recalled telling him, “Listen, it can’t always be your way.
Sometimes it has to be my way. And my way is at night. Only.”
Thankfully, their daytime TV gig has apparently worked in her favor.
“The best part of this job is that it’s actually made him lose interest in morning sex during the work week — it’s a miracle,” she laughed, before cheekily adding, “May this show last until he suffers from erectile dysfunction!”
Spicing It Up After All These Years
Despite their mismatched preferences and her comedic jabs, Kelly says their physical connection remains strong.
“It’s like exercise,” she said. “The more you do it, the more you do it.
You just have to start and then remember why you like it.”
But she also admitted it hasn’t always been easy — especially during the chaos of raising kids, juggling full-time jobs, and trying to stay connected.
“It’s hard when you’re exhausted.
It’s easy for that part of your relationship to take a back seat.”
From FaceTime to Ladders: How They Handled Long Distance
This isn’t the first time Kelly and Mark have opened up about their love life.
On a 2023 episode of her own podcast Let’s Talk Off Camera, the two reminisced about navigating a ten-month separation in 2020 while Mark was filming Riverdale in Canada.
Ripa confessed they leaned into “sexual rituals” via FaceTime.
Things got so creative, she joked that she started rigging her computer to a ladder so he wouldn’t see the effects of gravity during their virtual sessions.
“I was like, how can I make this sexy? So I hung the laptop from a ladder and looked up at it — so he never had to look down,” she laughed.
No Breaks Allowed, Even During Menopause
Mark chimed in on that episode too, saying his only real “deal-breaker” in their marriage would be if Kelly ever completely cut him off from sex — unless, of course, it was for medical reasons.
Kelly was quick to remind him about her menopause experience, but Mark insisted, “I didn’t give you a break.
There were never months without sex — unless I was literally in another country.”
Still Keeping the Spark Alive
With nearly 30 years under their belt, three grown children, and a joint talk show, Kelly and Mark are still figuring it all out together — sometimes with a laugh, sometimes with brutal honesty, and occasionally with a ladder.
And if nothing else, they’re proof that a long-term marriage doesn’t have to mean losing your sense of humor — or your sex life.