LIVE with Kelly and Ryan has welcomed back a beloved crew member after he suffered a major health scare.
Stage manager Frank has broken down in tears as Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest offered touching words upon his return to the talk show on Monday.
ABCKelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest welcomed back their stage manager, Frank, on Monday[/caption]
ABCThe Live with Kelly and Ryan crew member returned to the talk show after suffering a heart attack[/caption]
At the start of the show, Ryan took a moment to welcome back the show’s stage manager, Frank.
Kelly and those in the audience all clapped for the returning crew member.
“He had a heart attack…and he’s back, and he’s moving freely and looking great,” the American Idol personality shared of Frank’s recent health scare. “We missed you, buddy!”
The camera moved to show the Live stage manager, who was handed a microphone to give his own updates.
Frank told everyone: “It’s so great to be alive. And to be back. I’ve missed all of you guys so much.
“I love you all so much. Thanks for all your love and support.
“And I’ve been saying it since the day I got out of the emergency room, I feel like George Bailey in real life from It’s a Wonderful Life. I’m so blessed to be here.”
He got choked up as he thanked all of the “amazing” medical staff who took care of him and helped him during this difficult time.
“You’re a good man, we missed you,” Ryan kindly told Frank.
He then began to cry, while the crowd aww’ed as Kelly sweetly told said: “You know what, the problem is when you have a big of a heart as yours, once in a while, it’s going to act up.”
She added that everyone is “so grateful” that he’s “alive and well,” to which he had trouble responding to with a “thank you” as he was all choked up.
This sweet interaction is much different from some of the ones Kelly has been having lately with another colleague on the show.
Last week, Kelly threw jabs at the show’s producer, Michael Gelman, for talking about his colonoscopy.
She joked that she always hears about when he has one coming up because he tells her “how much weight he lost after his ‘fast.’”
The camera panned to producer Michael, who just smiled and shook his head.
“You know, as if we want to know these things,” said Kelly.
She then looked straight at the camera, pointed, and said: “But we have to hear it, damn it, like it or not, and now you do too!”
ABCFrank broke down in tears as the hosts shared a few sweet words about missing him and his ‘big heart’[/caption]
ABCThis sweet moment was a far cry from Kelly’s on-air teasing of another colleague, producer Michael Gelman, on the show[/caption]
