Big Change Coming to ‘Live With Kelly and Mark’

After nearly four decades in its familiar Upper West Side location, Live With Kelly and Mark has bid farewell to its longtime studio home. The popular daytime program aired its final broadcast from 7 Lincoln Square on April 1, marking the conclusion of an era before relocating to a modern downtown facility.

During their emotional last episode in the historic space, hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos reflected on the significance of the venue that has housed various iterations of the show since 1987. “We owe a lot to this place,” Ripa shared with People magazine. “And it’s going to be hard to replicate.”

The married co-hosts each selected meaningful keepsakes to bring to their new studio at 7 Hudson Square, which serves as Walt Disney Company‘s freshly constructed New York headquarters. Consuelos chose a statue of a golden retriever named Sammy that has been part of the set since 1997. “I’ve had my eyes on him since day 1,” he joked to People. Ripa pointed out the dog’s connection to their family, noting, “This dog is the same age as our son Michael. And they both look really good for their age.”

Ripa opted to transport her Disney Legend award, which she received last August. “The reason I’m bringing this with me downtown is because that building is so like, sparkily and Disneyfied, I feel like this is on brand,” she explained, adding that keeping it at the studio also prevents her children from potentially taking it from their home.

The relocation resonates beyond just a change of address for the couple. Hello! reported that during the farewell broadcast, Consuelos recalled how the Lincoln Square studio played a pivotal role in their relationship nearly three decades ago. In 1996, while they were stars on All My Children, they appeared as surprise guests on what was then Live with Regis and Kathie Lee during a temporary breakup in their relationship.

“We weren’t speaking during that segment,” Consuelos recalled. “But the next day, we flew to Las Vegas and got married. So this place has special meaning.” He suggested to executive producer Michael Gelman that without that fateful appearance, their lives might have taken different paths, prompting Gelman to joke that Consuelos “could be back in Tampa.”

The farewell episode included numerous nostalgic segments highlighting memorable moments and tributes to previous hosts including Regis Philbin, Kathie Lee Gifford, Michael Strahan, and Ryan Seacrest. The broadcast concluded with footage of the studio being dismantled and crew members lining up to high-five the hosts as they departed, with Ripa declaring, “See you down there!”

Throughout the broadcast, the show’s crew began dismantling elements of the set, even rolling up the carpet beneath the hosts’ table mid-segment. “Could you not fold up the rug until we’re done with this one segment?” Ripa quipped as workers removed the show’s logo sign, to which Gelman responded, “We need that downtown.”

The syndicated program is expected to debut from its new “state of the art” facility immediately following the move, continuing the show’s evolution that began when Ripa joined in 2001 and accelerated when Consuelos became her permanent co-host in 2023.