Philbin writes that both he and executive producer Michael Gelman remembered Ripa from the first time she'd appeared on the show. "Hers was a natural, quick-witted, unaffected, confident, fun-loving kind of sparkle that both Gelman and I remembered very well," Philbin writes. "Especially because it came from, frankly, such an unexpected source – I mean, a young soap opera actress?"
White House photo by Joyce Naltchayan