The daily gossip: Kelly Ripa had to work out of a janitor's closet, Selena Gomez was supposed to be bi on Wizards of Waverly Place, and more

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(Image credit: Kelly Ripa)

1. Kelly Ripa had to work out of a janitor's closet at 'Live' for years

Listen up, Morning Show writers: Kelly Ripa is out here spilling the tea and providing tons of free material. Speaking to Variety, the Live with Kelly and Ryan host revealed ABC wouldn't give her a permanent backstage office for years, so even though "there were empty offices that I could have easily occupied," she was "working in the janitor's closet with a desk." After Regis Philbin left and Ripa became the show's main host, she was allegedly still told she couldn't have a real office because it was being saved for "the new guy," so she "forced" her way into one. Ripa also revealed she didn't initially have paid vacation time or maternity leave, and she wasn't given a private bathroom in the show's early years despite Philbin having one, forcing her to share a public bathroom with audience members and "wait in line" with them — even when she was pregnant. Who knew Live was once run by Harry Potter's uncle?

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.