Kelly Ripa once thought she was able to communicate with dolphins. The Live with Kelly and Mark Presenter revealed that she tried to test her supposed gift during a trip to Mexico. The conversation sparked after she discussed with her husband and co-host, Mark Consueloshow technological developments could help with animal communication.
Ripa said it happened while she was celebrating a friend’s birthday. “They rented a boat for sunset cocktails. Suddenly we were in the water surrounded by wild dolphins,” she recalled, remembering that she “had just done the show in Miami and we were at the Seaquarium and I was swimming with the dolphins.”
“We recorded a piece where we communicate with the dolphins. So I, Kelly Ripa, jump in the water and say, ‘I know how to talk to the dolphins!’ I say, ‘I’m going to summon them!'” she added.
“Our friend Brian was standing at the bow of the boat and said, ‘Kel, get back in the boat. These are wild dolphins, not trained dolphins,'” she continued. “But in my head I thought I could talk to the dolphins because I had been speaking to them so fluently.”
Kelly’s recent trip didn’t include an aquatic animal, but she did travel to attend a Disney event. She wrote that she is “honored and excited to join the 2024 class of Disney Legends at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.” Ripa expressed excitement about the honor from Disney and shared the news on her show with surprise. Consuelos expressed his support, saying, “I think you absolutely belong. And I’m really, really proud of you.”
During their Let’s talk off camera Podcast, the longtime talk show host admitted he was shocked when he spoke to Disney CEO Robert Iger. “Once again, it was one of those moments where I thought Deborah O’Connell was playing an April Fool’s joke on me,” Ripa admitted. “Why me? You needed a real person there to stabilize you. There’s a lot of greatness, but then they say, ‘Okay. How do we honor normal people? Kelly?'”
Ripa said, “Disney Legends is basically the equivalent of the Disney Hall of Fame.”
Iger told Ripa that she had “contributed mightily not only to our success, but to what we represent in the world.”
“Ultimately, I agree with that list,” he continued. “And actually, I thought, well, why didn’t we get to that sooner? You’ve actually been worthy for some time. And I think it speaks volumes not only about you, but about the show that you’ve been on for so long now and that we appreciate.”