The Live co-host is a doting mom to three children – sons Michael, 28, and Joaquin, 22, and daughter Lola, 24, who she shares with husband and co-star Mark Consuelos

Kelly Ripa isn’t just a regular mom – she’s a cool mom, even if she does like to tell embarrassing stories about her children from time to time!

The Live co-host shared the type of story only mothers can get away with on Monday November 24, as she discussed her son’s childhood obsession, and how at one point she was worried that it would prevent them from having any friends!

While talking about some “good news” that had come out of the Science world, Kelly told viewers: “I don’t know if any of you have young children here. We had a child like this, obsessed with dinosaurs, knew every dinosaur, like knew dinosaurs you never heard of… research says children who are interested in dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures have higher intelligence, including complex thinking.”

photo of kelly ripa and mark consuelos posting with kids michael and lola in a kitchen© Instagram
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos with their three children – Michael, Lola and Joaquin

The Hope and Faith alum then joked: “Thank god! While pretending to wipe her forehead. She told Mark: “Because for a while I was thinking ‘I don’t know if he’s going to have any friends when he goes to school who aren’t paleontologists.”

Kelly didn’t disclose which of her two sons she was talking about, likely to protect their privacy. While her children grew up in the spotlight and frequently appeared on Live – which Kelly has been co-hosting since February 2001 – now that they are older, they prefer to maintain a level of privacy, especially when connected to their mom and dad.

Kelly Ripa with her sons and daughter Kelly has a close bond with all three of her children

Kelly told E! News in September 2024: “Usually, if I comment on one of the two of their social media posts, I will get a temporary blocking. Then, the ban gets lifted and I’m reinstated. But I’m like, ‘Why can’t you guys be like the other kids on social media? They happily allow their parents in there.’”

However, all three of Kelly and Mark’s children have followed in their footsteps to some degree. Their oldest son Michael is an actor living in Bushwick, Brooklyn, having appeared in roles such as Riverdale, playing a younger version of his dad’s character Hiram Lodge.

Their daughter Lola is a singer living in London, while their youngest Joaquin lives in Michigan, where he graduated from college in 2025. He has plans to become an actor too.