NEWSKelly Ripa Recalls Getting COVID After Telling Her Kids She Wanted to Be 'Left Completely Alone' for Mother's Day: 'Not What I Had in Mind'
Careful what you wish for, Kelly Ripa!
May 8 2026, Published 5:18 p.m. ET
Kelly Ripa is all for wanting some peace and quiet on Mother's Day, though she once learned the hard way to be careful what she wishes for.
During the Friday, May 8, episode of Live With Kelly and Mark, the daytime TV star recalled getting COVID 19 just one day before Mother’s Day after jokingly telling her family she wanted to spend the holiday alone.
“You remember when I got COVID on Mother’s Day like four years ago?” Ripa asked her husband and co-host, Mark Consuelos. “The kids were saying, ‘What do you want for Mother’s Day?’ and I jokingly said, ‘I wanna be left completely alone.’”
'And Then I Got Covid'
Kelly Ripa contracted COVID-19 after wishing to be 'left alone' for Mother's Day.
“And then I got COVID the day before Mother’s Day and I was totally alone,” she continued. “And I was like, ‘This was not what I had in mind.’ However, it was a lot of solitude.”
Ripa’s confession came as the couple discussed why people should call their mothers instead of simply texting them ahead of the holiday weekend.
Kelly Ripa told the ironic story while discussing a study about moms on Mother's Day.
“Key reasons why you should call your mom — well, because it’s the right thing to do,” Consuelos explained, citing research about the emotional benefits of hearing a mother’s voice. “Speaking beats texting. So don’t just text.”
“When the girls messaged their moms, the salivary cortisol levels were similar to those who did not communicate with their moms at all,” he continued. “Hearing your mom’s voice has a uniquely soothing effect, so the next time you are stressed out by schoolwork, family or friends, call your mother.”
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Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos tied the knot in 1996.
That’s when Ripa joked that many moms secretly fantasize about getting a break from family responsibilities on Mother’s Day.
“People are in disbelief about how many mothers dream — literally daydream — about being hospitalized for Mother’s Day,” she quipped. “Just for the peace and quiet. To have a simple day of hospitalization.”
Kelly Ripa Will 'Once Again Be in Solitude' This Mother's Day
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos share three kids: Michael, 28, Lola, 24, and Joaquin, 23.
Ripa and Consuelos tied the knot in 1996 and share three children: Michael, 28, Lola, 24, and Joaquin, 23.
As for this year’s plans, Ripa revealed she’ll once again be spending Mother’s Day away from home — though under much better circumstances.
“This year I’m going to be on an airplane for Mother’s Day, so I will once again be in solitude,” she joked. “Well, not in solitude. I’ll be with 300 other people, but none of them will be asking me to make them breakfast. So that will be nice.”
