Kelly Ripa Is Joining the Cast of 'Riverdale' as Hiram Lodge's Mistress

Kelly Ripa is joining the cast of The CW's Riverdale. The host will play Hiram Lodge's mistress; Hiram is played by Ripa's real-life husband, Mark Consuelos.

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There is officially another real-life couple on the Riverdale set. This time, however, it's not a couple of the actors playing the Archie noir's teen characters. It's also not a couple who met on the set of the hit CW show. The newest IRL couple on the Riverdale set is actually a married couple: Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.

The LIVE with Kelly and Ryan host is officially joining the show's cast, according to Entertainment Weekly. And who, pray tell, will she be playing? Hiram Lodge's mistress, apparently. Not a Riverdale fan or need a refresher? Hiram is played by Consuelos, meaning Ripa will be playing her own real husband's fake mistress. It's kind of amazing.

According to the CW, Ripa will play Hiram's alleged mistress, Mrs. Mulwray, a woman the network describes as "confident and tough." According to EW, Mrs. Mulwray is "a beautiful, icy femme fatale who finds herself embroiled in a conspiracy much bigger than she initially thought." #Intrigue, right?

Ripa announced the big casting news herself on Instagram Tuesday. "It’s a family affair........Hiram’s mistress. 23 years of auditioning for a role i was born to play. Coming soon to the @thecwriverdale," she wrote, along with a photo of herself wearing a skin-tight, low-cut dress and posing in a high-backed leather armchair and deviously holding a silver-tipped cane that would make Lucius Malfoy Slytherin-green with envy.

Ripa and Consuelos will be in good couple company on the Riverdale set. Costars Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse have been dating for quite a while and Camila Mendes recently confirmed that she's dating Riverdale actor Charles Melton. Next up, Cupid should have a guest arc because he's clearly trolling around the set 24/7 anyway.

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Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.