Ryan Seacrest’s impossibly busy schedule just got a whole lot busier!

The industry mogul has just been tapped to be Kelly Ripa’s co-host on “Live With Kelly,” now of course titled, “Live With Kelly and Ryan.”

Kelly took to Twitter yesterday to tell followers that she would announce the identity of her new partner on today’s show, and today she said, “Today, the next chapter of the ‘Live’ story is about to be written,” cutting to commercials before bringing Ryan to the stage for the big reveal.

The addition of Ryan comes one year after Kelly’s previous co-host, Michael Strahan, abruptly left to join Good Morning America. Since Michael told Kelly mere moments before the news went public, she was blindsided and didn’t come to work for three days while ABC sorted things out.

Kelly said in a phone interview with The New York Times:

“It’s making sure the show is in the right hands — one day, eventually, I’m sure of it, I will retire, and Ryan Seacrest, who is a seamless broadcaster and a kind human being, is the one who can take this show into the future.”

Ryan has guest-hosted Live five times in the last year. In a separate phone call, he said of Kelly:

“She is so smooth and seamless and wonderfully clever and quick — she’s part of people’s lives, in their living rooms — and I want to come in as a friend of hers and as a friend to the audience.”

The former American Idol host will relocate to his Manhattan abode for the new position. Ryan will continue his Los Angeles morning radio show, “On Air With Ryan Seacrest” from a recording studio in New York. Since it will overlap with Live, though, some segments will be prerecorded. He will also continue hosting “American Top 40”, iHeart radio events, and “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest,”  among other hosting specials, and will keep up his production company in addition to co-hosting and executive producing on Live. And don’t forget all his charity work, too.

Holy moly!

Congratulations, Ryan!