June 27th was International Pineapple Day. I had no idea that was a thing, but sure, why not? On Thursday’s episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos had a little fun and celebrated it. They shared some pineapple trivia, drank pineapple juice, and ate pineapple slices. While they were nibbling on their pineapple slices, Kelly mentioned how much she hates eating on TV. She just thinks it’s “weird” to see people eat on screen and really dislikes doing it. In fact, she finds it so uncomfortable that to her, it’s like someone watching her use the restroom. Her hubby is cool with it though!
Apparently, eating on TV is not all it’s cracked up (or cooked up) to be. Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos tackled the topic on this morning’s Live with Kelly and Mark — which was once again previously recorded — as they kicked off the show by celebrating International Pineapple Day.
After Consuelos rattled off some fun facts about pineapple, and as they enjoyed pineapple slices and pineapple juice in front of the camera and their studio audience, Ripa said, “The audience doesn’t want to watch us eat.”
“It’s really, you know — I always say this. Like, you think it’s no big deal to eat on TV, but then try to do it,” she continued. “It’s really weird, like, it feels like people are watching you go to the bathroom. It’s that same —”
Consuelos chimed in with his perspective, noting that he has “no issues with it.”
“If you watch the cooking segments here, I’m just eating and eating and eating,” he teased. “Shamelessly.”
Ripa replied, “No, as am I, but it looks weird. It’s not, like, it’s not —”
Consuelos offered up, “Elegant?”
Ripa agreed, arguing that “it’s not as elegant as you think.”
“It’s weird,” she reiterated. “Everybody looks weird when they eat on TV. If you watch commercials, if you watch food commercials, those are styled by food stylists. And even then, you see people take the bite, but you never really see chewing happen. It’s like a bite, cut away! Cut away.
Consuelos added, “They spit into the spit bucket.”
Ripa replied, “The spit bucket, right. There’s a spit bucket,” before asking the audience, “Did you know that?”
Consuelos said, “Now you do.”
I knew that the food in commercials were styled by food stylists and were not realistic, but I actually had no idea that there was a spit bucket. That makes total sense, though. I’m sorry that Kelly feels so uncomfortable eating on TV. Good thing she gets paid a lot of money to do so! I’d be worried about getting crumbs all over myself in front of everyone or forgetting where I was and talking with a mouth full of food. I don’t think watching anyone eat is elegant, lol, but it’s never super bothered me to see a talk show host or a commercial actor try a bite of food. It’s the full-on food scenes like in Elf where Buddy is eating the pasta with the maple syrup and he’s shoving it in his face that bother me. I don’t love watching those types of scenes. There is one time that I never mind watching someone eat on TV and that’s when the judges do the taste tests on Great British Bake Off. That just mostly makes me envious. I wonder if the hosts of that show use a spit bucket, too.
Photos credit: Robin Platzer / Twin Images / Avalon, Nick Agro / Avalon, Getty and screenshots from YouTube/Live with Kelly and & Mark
That’s not anorexic at all
Yeah Kelly, it’s exactly like someone watching you eat.
Eating disorder situation.
Wasn’t that the reason that Daisy in Girl, Interrupted used for eating in her room?
I came on to say that–that’s a classic sign of eating disorders.
And maybe she does have an ED but maybe it’s kinda sh*tty the way we are talking about it here?
Not a Kelly Ripa fan in any sense of the word and I think she kinda sucks but an ED is MH issue and doesn’t need more shame attached to it.
Thanks, Noo. I feel the same. Anyone who is or is thought to be struggling with an ED deserves compassion, not condescending judgement.
Hard disagree, Noo and PinkOrchid. Silence re ED is violence, with life-threatening consequences for young (primarily) girls who see her as a role model.
One can’t have a major platform like Kelly Ripa that every day promotes Pro-Ana tropes and then plead right to privacy to deal with a MH issue deserving of compassion.
“But she doesn’t have an ED, she’s just naturally tiny!”
“She can’t gain weight even when she tries!”
Yeah, those are more Pro-Ana lines (lies). Look at her early work on All My Children.
@Hannah1 my reply was to @Get Real’s comment “that’s not anorexic at all.”
It’s my personal perspective that there are ways to talk about MH conditions that include more compassion than judgement. Please see my reply below.
It sounds like you think Kelly has a responsibility to be a role model for women through her job and have zero problems like an untreated ED. Again, I am completely not a Kelly Ripa fan, but I do have compassion for her if she is suffering from an untreated ED.
@Noo,
Kelly Ripa is already in the business of selling her image to the public. That comes with the job: being a role model is not something she could choose to add or subtract.
I do feel for young Kelly being subjected to abuse for being ‘chubby’ on AMC, and (ostensively) reacting in classic fashion by developing an ED.
But if she is the addict in denial that she appears to be, she herself in addition to the public will benefit by more discussion of anorexia and what brings it about rather than thinking that it is ‘kind’ to play along with the denial.
@Noo no shame. Just facts.
“just facts”
…with zero compassion and a little dose of snark.
@Noo — you have to talk about EDs in order to understand how prevalent and serious they are. My sister died of eating disorders and alcoholism in 1989 and if only we’d been more vocal about her condition she might still be alive today. We’re not shaming, we don’t lack compassion, and there’s no snark. EDs are a sad reality and I, for one, am relieved that they’re being talked about openly and recognized as a legitimate mental health disorder.
@Jaded I am so sorry for the loss of your sister.
I think there is a really big difference between saying something like “Kelly’s relationship with food sounds like disordered eating/ED. Hopefully she can get some help.”
Or “here are some resources for anyone who wants to learn more about the signs of possible EDs and treatment options?”
vs. “that’s not anorexic at all” “classic ED” “Kelly Ripa hates food” “sucks to be her, but oh well” Which is what you see in the comments here on CB.
I would be interested to hear your perspective from your lived experience, do you think that is helpful for anyone suffering from an ED who comes on the site and reads the comments here?
I don’t like watching eating (or pretend eating) on TV either, especially if someone smacks their lips. The spit bucket thing is just gross. Just show shots of the food on commercials. Why is it necessary to see someone bite into it?
“Kelly Rippa Hates Eating.” There, I fixed the headline for you.
And equates it to using the bathroom. That’s messed up.
I actually know someone who is really good family friends with Kelly and Mark, and goes on vacation with them, and he says that Kelly is really weird about food, and doesn’t seem to like or enjoy it, she does everything but eat at dinners. She’s obviously pretty disordered.
She also has a condition where the sound of people chewing their food makes her crazy. Must be awful at the dinner table as she pokes listlessly at a lettuce leaf and glares at anyone who’s enjoying their food. Tell us you have an ED without telling us you have an ED.
Misophonia. I have it. I always have ear buds with me if I’m stuck somewhere and people are chewing and smacking their lips….shudder.
At home, even with myself, I have to have background noise at a just above background noise level.
I don’t have an issue with food.
I have no trouble dining by myself, but I don’t liked to be watched when I’m eating. I can’t imagine doing it on TV, but then it’s not part of my job.
I intensely dislike being watched while eating. which is the least of my disordered behaviors around food. it’s gotten better over time but I still prefer to eat alone. or with people I’m very comfortable with. no shade for Kelly.
This woman is so unlikable. While channel surfing and I land on this program it is immediately switched off. She is so insanely full of herself.
I remember reading an interview in soap opera digest (yes I’m old), that during her first pregnancy, it wasn’t written into her characters storyline and “fans” writing in were ruthless about her appearance. My observation has been that ever since then, she has flirted with ED.
Yes, that was a major turning point.
She has an eating disorder. Sucks for her but oh well.
On one of my favorite pods, “Ask Ronna” the hosts Ronna and Bryan always advise people who have a crush on someone and wish they didn’t to imagine eating out with their crush and watching them eat a tuna salad sandwich. It makes me laugh every time because…true. (BTW, highly recommend “Ask Ronna”–hilarious and very insightful.)
I would be uncomfortable eating on tv. I don’t want to be seen eating on Zoom either. Any stills taken from a shot could also look odd — i.e google any picture of a British politician eating. Always winds up looking bad, especially if you make the mistake of eating a banana or a ham sandwich.
Unless you’re an exceptionally elegant eater, it can look strange. I saw an Instagram video of Alicia Silverstone eating and the loud noises kind of horrified me haha. That convinced me that my original decision to never be seen eating on Zoom is correct.
She may have an eating disorder, based on just, um, looking at her. But most people, with a few exceptions, look odd in photos or videos of them eating. Her point still stands
This is sad, and sad that our culture created this type of relationship with self. I hope she gets the support she needs and deserves. These types of disorders can be similar to addiction disorders, the patterns of recovery and relapse can be grueling and, too often, deadly.
Tell me you have an eating disorder without telling me and have an eating disorder
She has bad misophonia like I do, so I suspect it’s deeper for her. I go into fight-or-flight mode if I have to see or hear chewing; I will fly across my house to smash that remote.
That said… she’s paraphrasing exactly what Brittany Murphy’s character says in Girl, Interrupted. “Other people like to be alone when it comes out… I like to be alone when it goes in.” She had an ED and a tragic fate.
I can’t listen to other people chewing. It will actually make me twitch.
I have misophonia as well so I am on board with no eating on TV. Every once in a while I end up watching a bunch of reels or tiktoks or something, and am always appalled by the people who eat or drink stuff while telling a story. No!
I don’t like watching people eat on TV. It grosses me out. And fake eating/chewing is so over the top it’s comical.
Awhile back I tried to watch the original Sex and the City again and I had forgotten that they kept showing Miranda eating salads. She is not an elegant eater and it was not something I could watch. And then Carrie started speaking and I remembered why I hate that show.
I didn’t think she eats food, ever.
Have you ever really watched someone eat an ice cream cone? It’s the most disgusting thing.
I used to photograph weddings and I never took pictures during the meal because NO ONE looks good eating. There were always guests who would eat the entire time and I never got a good shot of them. And once during a family portrait a teen girl would not stop eating chips and no one would back me up when I gently suggested that she take a quick break while I take pictures. I finally gave up and ignored her. She looked terrible in every single shot. Not my problem!!