‘Good Morning America’ Says Emotional Goodbye After 26 Years

Good Morning America had an emotional goodbye over 25 years in the making.

On Friday, the morning talk show aired its final episode from its Times Square studio after nearly 26 years.

GMA will be moving to its new home in the Robert A. Iger building, according to PEOPLE. It’s Walt Disney Company’s new New York City headquarters at 7 Hudson Square. The move comes just ahead of the 26^th anniversary of the first episode taped inside the Times Square studio, which aired on Sept. 13, 1999. Before that, GMA’s home was the ABC News headquarters. Come Monday, GMA will be broadcasting from a whole new studio.

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Friday’s episode was an emotional one as it marked the end of an era. The lineup included an appearance by Alicia Keys and a performance from the cast of Hell’s Kitchen, her Broadway show. Co-anchor Michael Strahan took his followers on one last walk-through of the studio. Leading up to the final day in the studio this week, GMA showed segments from over the years, as the anchors recalled their favorite memories in the studio. From their first days to special moments such as pregnancy announcements and reunions. They also took a tour of GMA‘s new neighborhood, showcasing local businesses.

On Monday, the co-hosts reflected on their first time at the Times Square studio, with George Stephanopoulos saying, “It was so long ago that I can’t even imagine what it must have been,” after joining in 2009. Robin Roberts, who joined in 2005, shared, “I remember thinking, ‘I’m a little girl from Mississippi, and I’m working at Times Square.’ It’s just so majestic.”

It was first announced in 2023 that GMA would be prepping to leave its iconic Times Square studio for Hudson Square. “Good Morning America is defined by the strength of our team in front of and behind the camera, quality of our reporting, and the long, trusted relationship with our viewers,” an ABC News spokesperson said in a statement via Deadline. “Moving all ABC News teams to our new state-of-the-art building was a strategic decision that will allow for more collaboration and innovation.”

Good Morning America follows fellow talk shows The View, The Tamron Hall Show, and Live with Kelly and Mark, which also made the move to the new Walt Disney headquarters over the last several months. It’s unknown what the now-defunct Times Square studio will turn into, but ABC will reportedly continue to use it for broadcast and reporting.