'Live with Kelly and Mark' get in holiday spirit with annual sweater show

NEW YORK -- Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos are getting in the spirit of the holiday season on their "Live" show seen each weekday morning right here on ABC.

At their studio, they've decked the halls with a lot more than just boughs of holly. Trees have been trimmed and ornaments hung.

Entertainment Reporter Sandy Kenyon made his way through all of the holiday decorations to talk to the hosts and give us this preview of what's ahead.

It's festive and it's fun. The sweater show on "Live with Kelly and Mark" is designed to get millions of viewers in the mood for the holidays.

The Rockettes are coming back to join Katherine McPhee for Friday's episode, and Santa will be coming around next week.

"I think the holidays are a special time at 'Live' because our audience becomes the third co-host. They're really alive. They're really involved. They're dressed in a very, a festive fashion," said Kelly Ripa, co-host.

They are dressed for the annual sweater contest, hoping to win cash prizes:

"Some would call it gaudy. Some would call it fun. Some would call it ugly," said Michael Gelman, executive producer.

Others call it itchy when the sweaters are made from polyester.

"It's true. I thought they were joking about the holiday sweater part of it, but obviously they weren't, and I'm pretending like it's not happening, but it's very much happening," said Mark Consuelos, co-host.

"Oh, it is happening!" Ripa said.

Consuelos is spending his first holiday as co-host with his wife, Kelly Ripa, but he has plenty of fond memories from before he got the job.

"It'd be a time when our family would be on the show so we've had our kids all do cooking segments or some sort of holiday thing for the show so it's always special for us."

Today, they are among the most famous couples in america, but like so

Many of us, kelly and mark have treasured memories of past holidays:

"Christmas Eve mass, come home and we and the kids open up one or two gifts at night," Consuelos said.

"Even though they're still adults we still do it. Very excited," Ripa said.

Don't miss "Live with Kelly and Mark's" big sweater show this Friday on ABC.