Kelly Ripa Reveals Backstage Fight Over Word
The Live With Kelly and Mark host described a disagreement with the show's crew over the Dictionary.com word of the year, 'maxxing.'
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Celebrities
Kelly Ripa revealed a backstage disagreement over Dictionary.com's word of the year, 'maxxing,' during Tuesday's live broadcast of Live With Kelly and Mark. Ripa said she would not have picked the word as the topic.
Why it matters
The word of the year selection gave a lighthearted talk show a chance to discuss internet slang with origins in online communities that some link to toxic male circles. Ripa and Mark Consuelos also addressed the word's connection to looksmaxxing and related trends on air.
The on-air discussion centered on Dictionary.com's definitions of 'maxxing' and 'looksmaxxing,' with Ripa cycling through variants such as 'softmaxxing,' 'hardmaxxing,' and 'sleepmaxxing.' The extraction does not include viewership or ratings data for the broadcast.
The players
Kelly Ripa
Kelly Ripa is an American television host who co-hosts Live With Kelly and Mark and has long been a fixture of daytime talk programming.
Mark Consuelos
Mark Consuelos is an American actor and television host who co-hosts Live With Kelly and Mark alongside his wife, Kelly Ripa.
Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com is an online dictionary and reference website that annually names a word of the year based on lookup and usage trends.
Clavicular
Clavicular is a figure associated with looksmaxxing who offers online courses on the subject and was recently charged with rape, to which he pleaded not guilty.
The details
During Tuesday's live show, Ripa cycled through uses of the word, including 'softmaxxing,' 'hardmaxxing,' and 'sleepmaxxing,' while Consuelos called looksmaxxing 'stupid' and said he kind of likes 'proteinmaxxing' now. Dictionary.com describes 'maxxing' as an additive word for pursuing an activity to the fullest, and describes looksmaxxing as amplifying one's aesthetic presentation.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Ripa revealed the backstage fight on the live show.
Industry Dynamics
The segment shows how a daytime talk show uses a dictionary publisher's annual word of the year to engage its audience with internet slang. The extraction does not describe broader shifts in the talk show format or streaming trends.
Viewers can watch the segment through the show's regular daytime broadcast, and the discussion gives audiences a look at how the hosts respond to internet slang. The extraction does not identify streaming availability or clip distribution details.
The takeaway
The segment shows how internet slang moves from online communities into mainstream talk shows, where hosts must decide how to present terms whose origins may be contested. Viewers interested in the terminology can compare the on-air definitions with Dictionary.com's published entries.
Further reading
For more coverage of television personalities and their on-air moments, browse the Celebrities section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by EW.
