First Lady Michelle Obama Appears on LIVE! WITH KELLY Today, 6/18

Today, June 18, 2012, LIVE! WITH KELLY will feature a very special appearance by the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. "LIVE" host Kelly Ripa and guest co-host Bryant Gumbel sit down for a wide-ranging interview and a total of six segments with Mrs. Obama. It will be the First Lady's second in-studio visit, and her third appearance on the popular morning talk show.

Mrs. Obama shares moving stories from her first trip to meet her husband's grandmother; weighs in on the challenges of raising two daughters in the White House and in the public eye; discusses teenagers and cell phones, from the parental perspective; and stresses the importance of healthy eating, especially for kids.

During the show, Mrs. Obama also gives the young members of a competition jump rope team from Cary, North Carolina the thrill of their lives when she surprises them on the "LIVE" set. And the First Lady displays some impressive double dutch skills, to the delight of the kids and the studio audience.

Mrs. Obama joins Kelly and Bryant to discuss her new book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, which offers a look at the first vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt's Victory Garden.

In keeping with the healthy eating/gardening theme, "LIVE" invited "Iron Chef" Marc Forgione to take on "LIVE's White House Garden Challenge." His daunting task was to create a delicious dish on the spot, with ingredients revealed to him mere moments before the show: fresh herbs and vegetables brought by the First Lady straight from the White House garden. Forgione met the challenge and created a mouth-watering recipe for Mrs. Obama and the hosts to enjoy.

Author proceeds of First Lady Michelle Obama's book will benefit the National Park Foundation, the official non-profit of America's national parks. Funds will go towards the continued care of the White House garden, as well as to programs promoting gardening, healthy eating and opportunities for young people to experience the outdoors to learn, discover and lead healthy active lives.

The National Park Foundation raises private funds that directly support and enrich America's nearly 400 national parks and their programs. As the official charitable partner of the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation plays a critical role in efforts to enhance youth engagement, promote education, support conservation and preservation initiatives, and to provide unique opportunities for all people to experience America's most treasured places. To learn more visit www.nationalparks.org.

"LIVE! with Kelly" is distributed in national syndication by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Produced by WABC-TV in New York and executive produced by Michael Gelman, "LIVE! with Kelly" airs in more than 200 markets across the U.S. 

Photo credit: Lou Rocca/ABC