Kelly And Ryan Are Daytime TV's Biggest Stars - But Can You Guess Who Makes More Money?

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Kelly And Ryan Are Daytime TV's Biggest Stars - But Can You Guess Who Makes More Money?

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We all start our day by watching Live with Kelly and Ryan - or is that just me? Because I definitely never miss an episode.

If you're a regular viewer, you'll remember the drama that followed after host Michael Strahan left the show for Good Morning America.

Kelly Ripa spent a year auditioning new guest hosts, before settling on American Idol emcee Ryan Seacrest.

I remember being pretty skeptical about the pair, but after a year sitting behind the Live desk their chemistry is undeniable.

But I couldn't help but wonder: who is the host with the most? As in the most money, of course.

The answer was not what I expected, and it goes to show how different Kelly and Ryan's careers have been.

Kelly Ripa

Reuters

Ripa, as you probably know, was an actress on All My Children for many years, and met her husband, actor Mark Consuelos, on set.

She followed up the soap with work on Hope & Faith, and started hosting Live with Regis and Kelly at the same time. The actress has been hosting the daily talk show since 2001.

And her popularity with fans has helped make her TV's highest paid actress. Last year, she reportedly made $17 million for hosting Live.

Add in the rest of Kelly's projects - including marketing for companies like Tide and Pantene - and it's not surprising to learn she's worth an estimated $100 million.

After all, Ripa and her husband put their lavish New York penthouse on sale for $24 million in 2015.

So, how does Ryan Seacrest's paycheck measure up to his co-host's?

If you don't know who Ryan Seacrest is - congratulations! You're officially the last person in America not to know.

He made a name for himself as a radio host in Los Angeles, and still hosts the American Top 40 countdown every week.

But you probably recognize Seacrest as the host of American Idol.

What you might not realize is Seacrest has a hand in tons of other TV projects.

Ryan Seacrest

Seacrest poses with former First Lady Michelle Obama.Lawrence Jackson / White House

Of course, he hosts the annual New Year's Rockin Eve special.

But he's also an executive producer for hit reality shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Denise Richards: It's Complicated.

He even gets a check from E! network programs like Live from the Red Carpet.

All that adds up to an estimated $65 million salary for the very busy TV host.

And Seacrest's estimated net worth is a whopping $380 million, mainly because of his work away from Live.

In fact, Seacrest's Live paycheck is just $15 million - okay, we'd gladly take it, but you can see those millions are just a drop in the bucket for the host.

At least things are fair on the talk show set: the much more experienced Ripa is making more than Seacrest for hosting the show, and we say that's fair.

Are you surprised by how much Kelly and Ryan make?

[H/T: Celebrity Net Worth]

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