Kelly Ripa is recovering from gum graft surgery.
The 55-year-old TV star missed the latest episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, and Mark Consuelos, her husband and co-host, has explained the reason for Kelly's absence.
Speaking to guest co-host Kevin Jonas, Mark shared: "Kelly sends her love.
"There’s a list of things you are not allowed to do. [No] talking, she has to eat soft food, can’t suck out of a straw. You can’t examine it, which means pulling down the lip.
"Last night, she was like, ‘Can you look?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m not pulling your lip down.'"
Gum graft surgery treats thinning gums or gum recession, and reduces the risk of severe gum disease.
Mark explained: "Her dentist said five years ago, ‘You could do it in about five years.’ And she said, ‘I didn’t know I would still be on the air in five years'. But the one thing about it — she is doing well, doing great — she is not allowed to talk."
The TV star explained that while Kelly is normally resistant to pain, she has been feeling particularly sore after her surgery.
He said: "It’s painful. But she famously does not feel pain. When she goes into the dentist, she doesn’t use the novocain. But this one hurts, so I know it’s bad."
Meanwhile, Kelly previously claimed that Mark was "insanely jealous" during the early years of their romance.
The talk-show host recalled one particular incident that took place shortly after they tied the knot.
During an appearance on the Let's Talk Off Camera podcast, Kelly explained: "It was our first week of marriage, because we didn't take our honeymoon until later. You were working and I went to visit you in Boston.
"We went to this Italian restaurant and the waiter was like a very cute old man, he's definitely in his 70s, if not 80s. He leaned down and he said, 'And for the principessa?'
"I thought it was so cute that this little old man called me a princess, and I looked at him and I gave him my order in a very smiley way. And he walked away and you picked a horrible fight."