Kelly Ripa would not take her chances with bugs if she ever found herself starring in a future season of Naked and Afraid. On this morning’s episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, the longtime co-host revealed how she would make it through the grueling survival show.
Ripa told the audience earlier this week that she spent her weekend in bed bingeing Naked and Afraid — which follows two strangers (a man and a woman) as they are stranded without clothes, food or water in a desolate location.
She was only further reminded of the long-running Discovery Channel series when Mark Consuelos mentioned an article claiming that fire ants are taking over Europe.
“You know what they do to them on Naked and Afraid? They eat them,” Ripa said. “They eat anything they can get their hands on — fire ants, regular ants. You name it, they’ll eat it. Because they’re naked and afraid. I think the goal is to eat the ants before the ants eat them.”
Ripa then revealed the strategy she would use if she were ever on Naked and Afraid. According to the All My Children alum, each contestant can bring a “singular item” with them, with most bringing a “satchel” to help them “gather things.”
When Consuelos pointed out that the satchel is also used to “cover the front,” Ripa jokingly fired back, “Forget covering my front!”
Instead, she had a far more practical solution to surviving the outdoors.
“I would bring like a zip-up mosquito net. Just like, a onesie bug net that I zip up over myself and just sit in it,” she explained. “Because if there’s one thing I learned from watching a marathon of Naked and Afraid, it’s that the bugs will get you before everything else. The bugs are the worst part. That’s what I’ve learned.”
She added, “So, look for me on Naked and Afraid.“
Live with Kelly and Mark airs on weekdays. You can find local listings on their website.