ENTERTAINMENTKelly Ripa Looks Disgusted as She Recalls When a 'Bug Crawled Out' of Her Salad at a Restaurant: 'It Was Desperate to Escape'
Kelly Ripa shared the story on a recent episode of 'Live With Kelly and Mark.'
Aug. 14 2026, Published 4:08 p.m. ET
Kelly Ripa recalled an unfortunate dining disaster.
During a recent episode of Live With Kelly and Mark, Ripa spoke with her husband and co-host, Mark Consuelos, about the stomach-churning moment an unwanted guest joined them at the table.
'I Had the Salad and the Bug...Crawled Out of the Salad'
Kelly Ripa said the bug was 'drenched in dressing.'
She started, "Do you remember? Oh, my God."
"We were all out together at a restaurant, somewhere, and I had the salad and the bug.. Crawled out of the salad," Ripa recounted of the mid-meal surprise.
She went on to add that the bug was "literally drenched in dressing."
'It Was Still Alive'
Kelly Ripa recalled the bug was 'desperate to escape.'
The people working at the restaurant "looked at [me] and said, 'You think we put that in there?'" to which the longtime morning show host responded, "'Do you think I put that in?'"
"What kind of bug was it? Do you remember? It was like a little insect?" Consuelos asked.
Ripa shared that, "It was just, like, a little insect. I don't know. It's like the kind that comes with the salad."
"But it was still alive, and it was desperate to escape," the mother-of-three concluded.
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One person joked that the bug was added 'protein.'
In a clip shared to Decider's Instagram, social media users weighed in on the story.
"Happened to me a few months ago. It wasn’t a roach or fly, etc. it was one that comes with salad. I almost ate the entire bowl. I don’t know how it survived. lol," commented one person.
Another joked, "Protein!😂🤣," while a third simply wrote, "OMG."
"This scenario she speaks of is why I no longer eat salads or fruits or vegetables from a restaurant! The bugs are in everything that is grown from the ground...Do these restaurants clean [veggies] and fruits grown from the ground! I doubt it!," proclaimed a fourth.
Kelly Ripa Recently Had Gum Surgery
Mark Consuelos told the 'Live' audience that his wife had the 'painful' procedure.
Ripa has been absent from the popular TV show for a few weeks after undergoing a painful gum graft surgery that left her unable to speak.
Consuelos first spoke about his wife undergoing the procedure on the Monday, July 27, episode of Live with guest co-host Kevin Jonas.
During their conversation, he said, "Yeah. It's painful. She famously doesn't feel pain. She doesn't; when she goes to the dentist, she doesn't really use the Novocaine. But this one hurts. So I know it's painful."
The popular morning show is currently showing pre-taped episodes as the Live show takes its annual summertime hiatus, all of which were filmed before Ripa went in for surgery.
Live is expected to return for a new season later this year.
