Mark Consuelos shares the simple secret to his nearly 23-year marriage with Kelly Ripa

Mark Consuelos is still head over heels for his wife, Kelly Ripa.

The lovebirds will be celebrating 23 years of marriage next month, and while speaking to Esquire, the 48-year-old actor spilled the No. 1 secret to their unbreakable bond.

"I'm an incredibly slow learner, so I feel like I'm just getting it," he joked. "Like, 'Oh, this is what you're supposed to do,' or, 'OK, sometimes 'yes' means 'no.' After 23 years, I'm just learning that -- so, I don't think I could give anybody advice."

"I guess sometimes you see these public marriages end and you wonder, 'Really? You're going to quit now? It's just been a couple of years, maybe you should try to stick it out,'" he continued. "It's kind of great to have a life together with someone. Of course, I'm not supporting staying in a horrible marriage. I'm just saying, if you can, maybe wait until it calms down a little bit. Wait until the magic happens."

Later in the interview, Consuelos -- who plays Hiram Lodge on Riverdale -- also joked about being called an internet "daddy." He says he remembers hearing the term a decade ago, when he was away shooting and Ripa was at home with their friend Andy Cohen.

"During one of my breaks, I called and Andy answered and I asked, 'Hey, can you do me a favor? Can you make sure a certain door is locked?'" Consuelos recalled. "People always forget to lock this door, and I wasn't home. I was kind of being… 'a dad?' I interject. Right. A dad. Andy said, 'Sure, OK, daddy.'"

"And that's where it started, and it stuck," he added. "It was pre-whatever 'daddy' represents on Riverdale. It's hilarious. It's totally hilarious."

Ripa can't seem to get enough of the term. She, too, makes jokes about Consuelos' heartthrob status, as you can see from her most recent Instagram Story:

Consuelos and Ripa, also 48, secretly eloped on May 1, 1996.

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