Kelly Ripa

 Kelly Maria Ripa was raised in Berlin, New Jersey. [4][5] She's the daughter of Esther, an homemaker, as well as Joseph Ripa (a labor union bus driver, president and Rutgers University student). She has one sister named Linda who is an author of children's books. Before the show was taken over by USA Network, she was an PHL17 local dancer, known as Dancing on Air. Kelly was featured on a variety of chat line advertisements, asking men to call the hotline where "hot ladies" are always on hand. Commercials air after midnight on the local Philadelphia market. Six. She is of Italian and one-quarter Irish ancestry. Ripa was raised Catholic. Her father has served as the Democratic County Clerk of Camden County, New Jersey from June 2009.Ripa graduated from Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. 9 During her time at high school, she was a cheerleader, and was advised by her drama teacher to study acting. She stated that Jim Boeckle was responsible for the majority of her professional career. He believed that I was an excellent performer, and he offered me the role of lead in his next production. "She performed in theatre productions and was discovered while performing in The Ugly Duckling during her senior year. She attended Camden County College studying psychology, but dropped out and relocated to New York City to pursue an acting career.