Ryan Seacrest's last episode of Live With Kelly & Ryan was, actually, not live

Just from reading the title of daytime talk show Live With Kelly & Ryan, one can expect two things to be delivered: a show happening in real-time, and Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest riffing off each other over comically oversized coffee mugs. Yet, with Ryan Seacrest leaving the show after six years, the ‘live’ portion seems to be out the door, too, as the American Idol host’s final episode was not recorded live at all.

Morphing from Live With Kelly & Ryan into simply With Kelly, the long-running ABC talk show’s farewell episode to Seacrest opened with a note on the bottom of the screen reading, “previously recorded,” per Entertainment Weekly.

While the move may defy the very name of the show itself, pre-recording the show seems to make sense if you look at the full episode, which was mostly a goodbye ode to Seacrest. In between a sit-down interview with First Lady Jill Biden, the co-hosts reminisced on their time together with plenty of montages of Seacrest throughout the years, including a special message from Live With Kelly & Ryan’s unofficial third seat at the table and frequent guest, Michael Bublé.

Earlier this year, Seacrest announced his departure from the day-time show after six years, citing the constant move between coasts as his decision to part from his hosting duties. The co-host chair isn’t moving to someone all that new, as Ripa’s husband Mark Consuelos will replace Seacrest for the time being.

“I’ve spent my entire career talking, talking on radio and talking on television,” Seacrest said in his farewell speech on Friday’s episode. “Words are my bread and butter, my wheelhouse, but today it’s hard to put into words how deeply I’ve appreciated being here and being with you, being invited into your homes every day to try and deliver a smile or a laugh or two. I’m honored to be part of this family.”