'SNL' Star Seth Meyers: Kelly Ripa's New Co-Host?

The Saturday Night Live Star Is Reportedly One of Three Finalists to Replace Regis Philbin as Ripa's New (Permanent) Co-Host

Live! With Kelly and Seth? Could be … the search to find a permanent replacement for Regis Philbin has led to a surprising trio of finalists, with Saturday Night Live star and writer Seth Meyers reportedly in the lead to sit beside Kelly Ripa as her new morning talk show co-host.

Read: David Arquette: Kelly Ripa Doesn't Want Me as Her Co-Host [POLL]

The other two (just as surprising) finalists: former football star Michael Strahan and singer Josh Groban.

Roger Friedman at Showbiz411.com reports the aforementioned trio is battling it out to join Ripa in September, when Disney TV, ABC and Live! producer Michael Gelman will make a final decision after an almost year-long search for a new Ripa cohort.

Meyers, who hosts SNL's Weekend Update news segment and is the show's head writer, has been a guest co-host several times with Ripa and will co-host for an entire week later this month.

Friedman reports the funny guy would likely continue his Weekend Update gig, but would resign his post as SNL head writer, because of the schedule, if he gets the Live! job.

Retired New York Giants star Strahan, meanwhile, has co-hosted several times with Ripa and has a good rapport with her, while multi-platinum-selling pop star Groban has also been a frequent and popular Live! co-host, dating all the way back to 2006.

Read: Kelly Ripa's Husband Was a Stripper? She Confirms It!

Regis Philbin co-hosted his final Live! episode last November 18, and the search for his permanent replacement has included guest co-hosting stints by Jerry Seinfeld, Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos, Joel McHale, Carson Kressley, Reggie Bush, Neil Patrick Harris, Anderson Cooper (Ripa's favorite prospect, despite the fact that he already has two jobs), Andy Cohen, Cat Deeley, Taye Diggs, Nick Lachey, Chris Harrison, Alec Baldwin, Randy Jackson, Pat Kiernan, Rob Lowe and Jim Parsons.

Our favorites: Jerry O'Connell and Martin Short, who both had great chemistry with Ripa and were hilarious in the morning patter and interviewing fellow celebs segments.