Mark Consuelos Says His and Kelly Ripa's Kids Are More Enjoyable Now That They're Adults
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Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are officially coworkers again, but the couple have been expert parents for a long time. Kelly and Mark — who officially joined forces to host the morning show "Live!" together full time in 2023 — have been married since 1996 after meeting on the set of their soap opera "All My Children." They welcomed their first child, Michael, a year later, eventually followed by daughter Lola and son Joaquin.
Back in 2020, Kelly, Mark, and their kids opened up about what it takes to have a strong, happy family. "As you get older and you learn more, that youngest kid hopefully benefits from a little bit more wisdom . . . and hopefully fewer nerves," Kelly told People at the time. "I think I had definitive ideas about raising girls versus raising boys, even though I don't really believe in gender stereotyping. My sons are just as sensitive as my daughter, and my daughter is as strong as my sons."
Mark told the outlet that he used to be overprotective of his trio of kids but that over time, he's "mellowed." Joaquin agreed, saying, "Younger siblings get to do whatever they want right out of the gate," with a laugh.
Mark also opened up about the joys of having older kids on the July 12 episode of "Live With Kelly and Mark." He explained that he and Kelly recently went to Greece with Lola and her friends as a graduation and birthday present. "And I'm looking at my daughter, who is 22 years old, who used to be — and I say this affectionately — such a pain. Such a pain," Mark explained, per People. "But let me tell you, once they get a little bit older, the gift of hanging out with your adult children is so amazing. She was so great. We got to spend time with her."
Kelly and Mark are never afraid to give viewers a peek into their family's life on their talk show, and they often share pictures of their kids through the years on social media. Ahead, get to know Kelly and Mark's three kids a little better.
Michael Joseph Consuelos
Michael, or MJC, as Mark calls him, is Kelly and Mark's first child, born on June 2, 1997. Following in his dad's footsteps, Michael — Mark's mini me — landed a role on "Riverdale" playing Mark's character's younger self in a few flashback episodes. Two Hiram Lodges are better than one, for sure. Michael graduated from NYU in 2020. According to his Instagram, in addition to acting, he's also looking to work as a writer and producer.
Lola Grace Consuelos
Lola, born on June 16, 2001, was once nicknamed "Offspring" on Kelly's Instagram but usually goes by just Lola — that is, when she gives Kelly or Mark permission to post about her at all. The middle child is often trolled by her mom for having to approve family photos that she's in before they can go on social media. Kelly was secretly pregnant with Lola when she was auditioning to host "Live!" with Regis Philbin, but she wanted to wait as long as possible before sharing her news. But as Kelly reminisced about in a 2020 episode of "Live!" during her audition episode, psychic Char Margolis appeared on the show and predicted Kelly was expecting her second child. Kelly replied, "I haven't told my boss yet!"
In 2022, Lola began to release her own music. Like her older brother, she attended NYU; Lola graduated this May.
Joaquin Antonio Consuelos
Joaquin, the youngest Consuelos child, was born on Feb. 24, 2003, and is often called the newborn (by Kelly) or Quino. Joaquin is the wrestler of the family, though Kelly once threatened to pin him to the ground in three seconds because she loves him so much. He attended the University of Michigan, where he's a key member of the wrestling team. According to his team's website, his major is acting.