But Ripa's morning glory may just be a stepping-stone. Witness her high-profile Feb. 27 guest spot on ''Ed.'' ''At the core, Kelly is an absolute TV star,'' gushes ''Ed'' executive producer Rob Burnett, who doesn't rule out a Ripa reprise as Tom Cavanagh's love interest. Burnett adds jokingly: ''In fact, my advice would be for her to dump Regis immediately.''
He was kidding. We think. Still, ''Live'''s omnipresent exec producer Michael Gelman stresses that Ripa knows her priorities. ''I don't think you'll see her in an ongoing situation that would take her away from us,'' says Gelman. ''But she's got leeway to do other projects, and we think it only brings more people to the table.'' Ripa's agent, Jim Ornstein, denies rumors that his client is angling to host her own chatfest. But expect to see more Ripa in the future -- especially considering that Gifford plugged everything from Carnival cruises to Almay makeup to that notorious Wal-Mart clothing line. ''We have a lot of stuff brewing for [Kelly],'' says Ornstein, though he declines to elaborate.
With the inevitable parade of endorsements just around the corner, Ripa's biggest dilemma will become how to continue to juggle both of her day jobs. ''Children'' exec producer Jean Dadario Burke says Ripa has given no indication she's ready to leave the soap, where she frequently shares scenes with her on- and offscreen hubby, Mark Consuelos, 31. (The couple has two children, Michael, 4, and Lola Grace, 8 months.) ''I'm sure it won't be forever,'' sighs Burke, ''but I don't want to know when the end is.'' She's not the only one.
(Additional reporting by Clarissa Cruz)
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