Kelly Ripa decided to pull a prank on her husband, Mark Consuelos, since she seemed to be so similar to Ariana Grande when she dressed up as the Wicked character from the Academy Award-nominated actress for a pre-tapped piece that opened Live with Kelly and Mark’s annual After the Oscars Show.
During an interview with PEOPLE to promote the special, Consuelos recalled getting a phone from Ripa’s secretary, who informed him that his wife wanted her to say hello to Grande over FaceTime. The chat was conducted in order to promote the event.
“I responded with, ‘What!?'” “This is something that I am not ready for,” Consuelos admits. “And she completely fooled me because I when I grabbed the phone, I truly thought that was Grande.”
It didn’t take long for Ripa’s masquerade to break. It was quite hilarious because I could see that he was privately upset and being polite at first, but I could also see that he was acting nice. Wow, he said, “Oh my goodness, hello there!” After that, as I started speaking, his expression completely shifted, and he seemed to be thinking, ‘Wait a minute…’ ” she adds.
“It was freaky!” Consuelos jokingly exclaims.
“He’s not the only one Ripa fooled,” she adds of Lola Consuelos. “I FaceTimed my daughter and her best friend while I was in costume and fooled both of them, too,” she says of Lola Consuelos. “It was great.”
When Ripa was dressed up in the outfit, it was easy to see why everyone was perplexed. A makeup artist named Kristofer Buckle and a hairdresser named Ryan Trygstad have done an excellent job of reproducing the singer’s appearance in the film version of his stage musical. The footage was seen exclusively by PEOPLE, and the actress from All My Children is a dead resemblance for Grande.
She is referred to as “Kel-inda” throughout the event. After assuming the part of Fiyero, which was originally portrayed by Jonathan Bailey in the movie, Consuelos gives it his own unique spin, even making a joke about becoming PEOPLE’s Sexiest TV Host Alive.
“I’m basically playing Mark Consuelos with highlights in my hair,” he exclaims with laughter.
During the After the Oscars Show, which will take place on Monday, the pair will co-host their daytime talk show that is headquartered in New York City from the stage of the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. This will take place many hours after the conclusion of the Academy Awards.
Additionally, the special will include interviews that Ripa and Consuelos conduct with winners immediately from backstage, minutes after they have won their prizes. These interviews will take place in addition to the ceremony. Some of the most memorable celebrity encounters of the evening took place at this venue, which is the ideal setting for such encounters.
According to Consuelos, who saw the commotion for the first time the previous year, “Being backstage is always really interesting,” she adds. “Kelly has said it before but when they come to see us, they’re completely out of their body, so you really get those guttural reactions.”
Ripa continues by saying, “They are very kind to us.” “And this year in particular, we seem to know a great number of individuals who are participating, which is why we have a really strong connection to the performance that is being held this year. This evening is going to be a lot of fun.
In spite of the fact that other people have been known to stop by after winning throughout the years, comedian Nikki Glaser will be making an appearance as a guest.
“It’s such a live-wire that show because we don’t know exactly what guests we’re going to have,” according to Ripa. There is no way to kind of properly market the event because every year, it is a mystery. It truly relies on who wins the Academy Award, so there is no way to promote and advertise the program. Right up to the moment when we go live, we are occasionally making choices. It is moving about. Because of the buildup to it, all of the editing that goes into it, and the decision-making process of what gets cut and what stays in the show, there is a lot of pressure on the fly, and a lot of choices that need to be made.
Jerry O’Connell, who will be serving as the red carpet reporter for Live, will also be performing, and viewers may anticipate seeing Steve Aoki and Lil Jon. Additionally, viewers can anticipate seeing Jerry O’Connell.
As Ripa explains, “It means so much to us to do this,” she is referring to the evening. “To me, it is simply fantastic to watch our tiny performance with our little team on the huge stage with all of those people in the crowd — and I cannot say it enough, they line up so early to be a part of it, which is so lovely of them — but it comes as a surprise to me. We are both filled with an overwhelming sense of thankfulness.
An additional yearly custom that Ripa, who is 54 years old, and Consuelos, who is 53 years old, have acquired throughout the years is a trip to In-N-Out Burger to eat on the way home. That, in my opinion, is the most thrilling thing,” Ripa continues. “I have cheeseburgers twice a year, and that is one of them, so it means something.”
In the absence of any inquiry, Consuelos communicates his command to PEOPLE. “Two double doubles, animal style — that’s what I’m going to have,” he adds with enthusiasm.
He is the one who goes insane, but I don’t. I am now enjoying a very reasonable In-N-Out burger. This is a classic look,” Ripa reveals. “But it fills me in a way that I can’t describe because, by that moment, I really feel like I’ve earned it.”
Enjoy the company of Kelly and Mark’s Check your local listings for the After the Oscars Show special, which will be shown in syndication on Monday, March 3.