Kelly Ripa’s mom is her twin in glamorous family photograph

Kelly Ripa has revealed the secret behind her stunning looks — and it’s all thanks to her mom, Esther. 

The talk show host clearly inherited her mom’s genes, as the two looked strikingly alike in a never-before-seen family photo shared on social media.

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Kelly took to Instagram on Thursday to post a special birthday tribute to her dad Joe Ripa. The video featured a heartwarming montage of nostalgic family photos, spanning from Kelly’s childhood to the present day.

The star captioned the post: “Let’s all wish Viewers Choice winner Joe Ripa a happy birthday! We love you dad.”

However, all eyes were on the snaps that captured Kelly’s glamorous mom Esther. One photo showed a young Joe and Esther at what appeared to be a black-tie event. Esther donned an elegant black dress embellished with intricate sequins while her brunette locks were swept up in a tidy bun.

The following image captured Esther and Joe posing with Kelly and her sister Linda when they were children. The star’s mom was her spitting image in a baby pink dress, with her blonde locks styled in a chic updo.

Unlike her daughter, Esther typically refrains from the spotlight. Kelly explained Katie Couric in 2022 that her mom wasn’t featured heavily in her memoir because she didn’t want to be.

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“Of course, I would write about my mom in totality but mom is very much like everything I wrote about her: I would read to her [from the book] and then she’d say, ‘Get rid of that. Get rid of this.’ She didn’t want me to talk about her at all,” she said.

“I was very conscientious in writing, but [my mom] proved challenging.”

Esther’s heart surgery

Back in October 2022, Kelly opened up about her mom’s heart surgery on an episode of LIVE. The hosts discussed how her parents have moved in with her and husband, Mark Consuelos.

She added more details on Late Night With Seth Meyers, when she said: “We were kind of empty nesters and then my mom had heart surgery. So now we’re living with my parents. And Mark’s like, ‘That didn’t take long.’ The nest is full again but with older people.” 

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Esther underwent the heart procedure in September that year and Kelly said she “did great.”

“I will say this, we were [at the hospital] late last night and very early this morning. My mom was wearing this turban, if you will, a wrap on her head, and she wouldn’t wear it into surgery,” she added.

“They don’t allow that. And this morning I see that my mom was sporting the chicest French girl bob I’ve ever seen.”

Joseph and Esther tied the knot in April 1962 and share two daughters.