After nearly four decades, Live with Kelly and Mark is saying goodbye to its longtime studio at 7 Lincoln Square in New York City. The beloved morning show, which has been filmed in the same location for 37 years, is moving to a new home in downtown Manhattan.
For the hosts, it is not just a studio move but also the end of an era of memories, career milestones, and joint growth. The studio first housed Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and has seen many celebrities over the years, from Regis Philbin to Kathie Lee Gifford, Michael Strahan, and Ryan Seacrest.
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos made memories in the New York City studio
She joined the show in 2001 and soon became a regular fixture, earning her the eventual co-host position with her husband, Mark Consuelos, in 2023. Consuelos is relatively new to the show, but the studio holds a very emotional sentiment for both of them. They met, built their careers, and even raised their children while working in this very space.
The studio had been a second home, with Ripa recalling bringing her children, Michael, Lola, and Joaquin, to the set almost daily before they started school. Since maternity leave was not as common at the time, she managed to balance being a full-time mother and a full-time TV host. She credits the show’s accommodating schedule for allowing her to do both.
The show’s crew also became an extended family for Kelly and Mark, forming bonds that lasted off-camera. Ripa notes that her daughter, Lola, still keeps in touch with some of the show’s producers, considering them as second mothers. Over the years, the Live team has supported each other through major life moments, making the transition to a new studio even more bittersweet.
Though excited about the future, Ripa admits that it will be difficult to replicate the warmth and familiarity of their longtime spot. The couple’s sentiment for the Live with Kelly and Mark studio extends beyond their careers because it also played a pivotal role in their love story.
How the Live studio played a role in Kelly and Mark’s love story
In 1996, before they were married, Ripa and Consuelos broke up briefly, however, just days later, they were scheduled to appear as surprise guests on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee for an All My Children fan event. Despite both trying to back out, fate brought them together in the studio.
That moment changed everything as seeing each other again in the Live studio made Mark realize he had made a mistake. He immediately proposed to Ripa, and they set out to Las Vegas the next day to get married. They have since built a life together, navigating both personal and professional milestones side by side, all within the walls of this historic studio.
The move to a new era for ‘Live with Kelly and Mark’
As one of the final ABC shows to relocate, Live with Kelly and Mark is moving to 7 Hudson Square, a state-of-the-art facility in Disney’s new headquarters.
The new space, known as The Robert A. Iger Building, already houses The View and The Tamron Hall Show, with Good Morning America set to join later this year. While it provides top-notch amenities and the latest production facilities, it cannot replace the decades of memories at Lincoln Square.
For Kelly and Mark, this move is bittersweet as they are already missing the history they made and the significance of their old studio. Nonetheless, they are embracing the opportunity to make new memories at their new location and are grateful for the experience and their fans’ unwavering support. Though the venue changes, the spirit of Live with Kelly and Mark, as well as the undeniable connection, remains the same.