KELLY Ripa prefers showcasing her physique to the world online over seducing her husband, a body language expert has suggested.
And she claims that while the TV host enjoys flaunting her figure via frequent thirst traps, it’s body confidence and humor that motivate her.
In December Kelly shared thirst traps on Instagram that were throwbacks to 2020.
Analyzing the images, body language expert Judi James told The U.S. Sun: “In the first photo, Kelly poses like an athlete or a doll, with her leg muscles defined to show off her intense gym work.
“While her bum is the focal point, there are no flirtatious over-the-shoulder glances to Mark, tilt of the body, hand on the hip or arms raised to hint at something more teasing.
“This is a signal of body confidence, working out and eating healthily [rather than] sexual signaling to her husband.
“The second photo is a bit more provocative and we can see her face, but Kelly’s body is in an exaggerated pose, with her bum in the air where she tries to cause a laugh, rather than show off any sexual prowess.”
Typically, celebrity thirst traps are posted to garner complimentary responses from fans and play up sexual attraction.
Previously, the 52-year-old Live! with Kelly and Ryan presenter and her 51-year-old husband have immersed themselves in this growing trend by sharing sexy snaps of themselves online.
But whether it’s posting pics of her and her husband together or sharing a slew of perfectly poised selfies, it’s often Kelly who is relentless at showing off the appeal of her man.
Last month, the blonde talk show star ramped up her efforts by posting a photo of Mark shirtless after learning that Madonna was following her on Instagram.
This followed another snap in August, when Kelly showcased the former Riverdale star’s chiseled, tanned torso.
“Traditionally, and if there’s such a thing as a tradition with a trend that’s so recent, thirst trap photos tend to decline with age,” Judi explained in an exclusive interview.
“This should also happen when someone’s in a relationship, which is likely why Mark and Kelly’s recent photos have caused a storm.
“There are many psychological reasons that celebrities post thirst traps, but here Kelly isn’t showing sexual vanity or trying to shock.
“Analyzing both their body language in both the New Year’s throwback poses, plus the way they’ve been styled, there’s a lack of the kind of preening or sexual vanity that might suggest out-and-out narcissism.
“The effort to look overtly sexual or to genuinely shock is way down the scale for Kelly and Mark compared to a Madonna or a Britney pose.
“And any smug marrieds vibe of ‘we’re still having sex’ isn’t played up via the kind of sexually tactile poses that you’d get from couples like Kourtney and Travis.
“For some celebrities, putting these types of photos out there for the world to see can cause feelings of sexual gratification, but this isn’t the case here, especially for Kelly.
“Then Mark’s pose in the first one is equally ambiguous as he’s looking away rather than paying attention.
“The silhouette effect highlights his calf and leg muscles, and overall, his pose looks like an ad for men’s cologne.
“This all looks like a rather smart, witty nod to some of the more preening pics on social media, with Mark’s facial expression looking like a cross between shock and comedy.
“These all also fit in with their current narrative as fun parents.”
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have been married for over two decades and met in 1995 on the set of All My Children.
In 2014, Mark said of those first moments together: “I thought she was adorable, hot and sexy and all that stuff. But I was very focused — I didn’t really think I had a chance with her.”
After eloping to Las Vegas in 1995, Kelly and Mark went on to welcome their first child, Michael, before adding daughter Lola and son Joaquin to their family.
More recently and just like most other parents, Mark and Kelly have become empty nesters.
By 2021, their three children had grown up and left home, leaving the pair to revamp their lifestyle as a 50-something couple.
“This can be a difficult time for any couple when all the kids fly the nest,” Judi reveals.
“There can be a tendency to re-examine the relationship without the buffer and the time-consuming aspect of having children around.
“The bias switches from being mom and dad to being a couple again, and there’s often felt to be a need to go back to where you were before the children arrived.
“So these two 2020 throwback poses do suggest that Kelly and Mark might have landed in the same place at the same time as far as the going back is concerned.
“Also, Kelly and Mark’s habit of posting frequent photos like this could well be part of the need to act like and be seen as individuals.
“Maybe they want to be seen as a different couple after the dust of child-rearing has settled.
“They probably feel pretty like how they did in their twenties before they had the kids.
“They very cleverly proved their social media credentials with that first shot where their faces were unseen and where they looked like two models in an ad.
“Ageist thinking might cause the online screeching about being too old and too parental to be up to shots like this.
“But judging from the second throwback photo it looks very much like Kelly and Mark are determined to have the last laugh.”
