There’s one trait Kelly Ripa isn’t happy that she passed down to her son, Michael Consuelos.
“Mark knows this about me, everybody here knows this about me, and there’s a couple of people that work here at Live that also suffer from this, where we laugh during uncomfortable or serious situations,” Ripa admitted on the Friday, October 3, episode of Live With Kelly and Mark. “I am not proud of it. It is something I try to control. The more I try to control it, the worse the laughter gets. I have broken up during funerals. I am not proud of this.”
She went on to read a news headline claiming that “laughing during a serious situation can be a sign of high intelligence,” adding, “Psychologists explain that laughter in tense situations isn’t insensitivity. It’s the brain’s clever way of diffusing stress, regulating emotions, and keep perspective. People who laugh under pressure often show stronger creativity, problem-solving, and resilience.”
Her husband and cohost, Mark Consuelos, went on to note, “Michael, our son, has that, as well.” Ripa confirmed her son’s habit, but revealed that Michael has it far worse than she does.
“He has the worst tragedy giggles. He inherited it from me. It is terrible. It is the worst. I mean, if somebody tells us something really horrible, we are literally like this,” Ripa said before pretending to hold back a laugh by pressing her lips together. “[We’re like,] ‘Oh, my gosh. I’m so sorry! I don’t know why I’m laughing.’ It is terrible.”
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Ripa wrapped up the discussion by stating, “It comes across as very insensitive. But as it turns out, we’re geniuses.”
Michael, 28, is the oldest of Ripa and Mark’s three children, including Lola, 24, and Joaquin, 22. He has made several appearances on Live over the years, most recently on July 11 to teach his parents a recipe for chimichurri skirt steak.
“Where did you learn how to make this?” Ripa asked her son during the cooking segment. Michael replied, “I live by myself, you know. I’ve got my own place and I cook a lot, so yeah. Also, YouTube.”
Michael also shared an update on his own career in the TV industry. “I’m producing a few different projects right now,” he revealed. “I just got finished with Netflix’s Owning Manhattan Season 2, which is gonna be really exciting. Definitely check that out.” (The Netflix series’ second season premieres on December 5.)
While Michael and his siblings have appeared on Live multiple times, Ripa recently revealed that having her kids on the show used to stress her out. “What I didn’t realize would become my favorite moments later on — because at the time, they were like anxiety-inducing and sort of, I was out of my head space — but when my kids would come on the show as small children and toddlers and babies, that was so special,” she told People last month. “I have sort of this, living diary of their lives.”
She added, “Now that they’re adults, they appreciate how special that time was for them.”
Live With Kelly and Mark, Weekdays, check local listings