Kelly Ripa Calls Out ‘Live’ EP For Going “Silent” When She Draws Blank on a Word, Says He’s Normally “Inserting Himself Into Everything”

If you’re an avid viewer of Live with Kelly and Mark, you are surely familiar with the show’s executive producer Michael Gelman, who’s often invoked by the couple during their conversations on the show. But during this morning’s episode, Kelly Ripa jokingly called out the typically off-camera EP after he failed to immediately help her find the word she was looking for.

The moment happened while Kelly and co-host/husband Mark Consuelos were commenting on the volcanic activity near Mexico City that has many residents preparing to evacuate.

Ripa pointed out that volcanic eruptions are “beautiful” from afar, before going on to explain the dangers of the natural disaster.

“It really has — it’s a very impactful…um… What’s the word I’m looking for? Impactful…earth…uh…,” she said as she looked toward a blank-faced Consuelos to throw her a bone.

“I don’t know why I looked at you for help. You’re always no help,” she told him.

Ripa then turned to Gelman, who was equally as confused as he told her, “I have no idea what you’re trying to get at. Impactful earth?”

Eventually, the Live employee figured out that the co-host was trying to say a “seismic event,” to which she rolled her eyes at the extra-long time it took them to get there.

“You know what’s so funny? Other shows — we just learned — they give massages to the on-air people. Around here, I’m like, ‘What’s the word I’m looking for?’” she said with a shrug. “Gelman, who is constantly inserting himself into everything, suddenly falls silent.”

Meanwhile, Gelman laughed off Ripa’s comment all while rushing to his own defense.

“I did come up with the word. Were you not listening?” he quipped, while Consuelos admitted, “I was gone. I had moved on already.”

Live with Kelly and Mark airs on weekdays at 9/8c on ABC.