Mark Consuelos Jokes About Competing with Jimmy Fallon For PEOPLE’s Sexiest Daytime Talk Show Host

"If I don’t win, I would love for Jimmy to win," he said of his competition

Mark Consuelos isn’t letting go of his coveted title!

On the Sept. 23 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, the former PEOPLE’s Sexiest Talk Show Host winner, 53, joked about this year's "stiff" competition and Jimmy Fallon’s recent campaign to take the title.

"Speaking of the Sexiest Man Alive, there’s a lot going on in television – in the broadcast landscape," his wife and co-host Kelly Ripa said to introduce the topic. "Now, I don’t know if you saw this plea that Jimmy Fallon put out."

Consuelos replied, "I did. Yeah, let’s talk about it."

Ripa went on to explain that PEOPLE Magazine has an annual Sexiest Man Alive issue, which she claimed "is really robbing us because there’s ton of sexy dead people and they just are immediately off the table because of the whole alive moniker. But whatever, I digress."

"So last year, you were voted the Sexiest Daytime Talk Show Host alive," she noted to her husband. Ripa recalled that Consuelos had been in a category with "three others," but she does not "recall who they were because they were not as sexy." (For the record, it was CBS This Morning's Nate Burleson,Today's Craig Melvin and Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulous.)

"So now, Mark, PEOPLE Magazine has put you in again. They’re not just saying morning show host! Forget it! This is the Sexiest TV Show Host alive. And look at who the competition is now," Ripa said.

"See they've got the box around you because you're already the reigning champion. But Jimmy Fallon, apparently, has put out a plea," she added, in reference to Fallon’s remarks during the Sept. 18 episode of The Tonight Show where he asked his fellow nominees to drop out of the race.

"Yeah, he asked if I should step aside," the Riverdale alum explained. "And I love Jimmy, I really do love Jimmy. He’s such a great guy. And over the weekend, I was considering it. I’m like, 'You know what, maybe I should pledge my support.' "

However, Consuelos walked his statement back, adding, "And I was like, 'You know, maybe I should come on the show on Monday and say, If you’re going to vote for me, you might as well vote for Jimmy. But then I reconsidered."

He continued to say he has "some stiff competition" in the category this year, which sees him going against Mario Lopez for Access Hollywood, Seth Meyers for Late Night and Fallon.

"I love all these guys," he noted.

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Ripa revealed her own vote, calling Consuelos the "sexiest" of the four. "I have to say, from a sexiest standpoint, and believe me, I love me some Seth Meyers, I love me some Jimmy Fallon, I love me some Mario Lopez. But from a sexiest standpoint, you are the sexiest," she told her husband.

Consuelos replied, "You’re not exactly… you’re not partial."

The co-host insisted that she has a "zoomed-out perspective" of the situation and enjoys seeing him "taken down a peg or two," but still stands by her statement and has already voted "many times."

"Anyway, If I don’t win, I would love for Jimmy to win," Conseulos added.

Ripa clarified: "You would love for Jimmy to come in second."

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Earlier this month, Fallon begged for Consuelos to drop out of the race in an episode of his talk show.

He sized up his competition, first saying, "Seth would let me have this... He would want me to have this. He's a younger dude — let grandpa have one thing," he joked.

The comedian then narrowed the competition down to Lopez and Consuelos and said, "Mark Consuelos, I'm going to ask you right now, please remove your name from the ballot of PEOPLE's Sexiest [TV Host]."

If that happened, then the race would be between Fallon and Lopez and Fallon believes that his contender would just give him the win "out of respect."

"He's been a guest on the show," he said of Lopez. "Just let me have it."

PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive Readers’ Choice Poll closes on Sept. 27, so be sure to cast your vote for Sexiest TV Host, Sexiest Summer Action Star, 2024's Sexiest Heartthrob and more. You can vote below by selecting a choice in any category you like, then submitting your email so your choices are counted.

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