Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos recently shared emotional reflections with PEOPLE about the memories they created as Live with Kelly and Mark transitions to a new studio in New York City.
The iconic talk show aired its final episode filmed at its longtime Upper West Side studio on April 1, 2025.
“It’s going to be hard to replicate,” Ripa tells PEOPLE, reminiscing about the invaluable memories formed during their decades in the space.
Filming the last episode in the 7 Lincoln Square studio marked the end of an era for Live with Kelly and Mark, a show that has been a staple of daytime television for 37 years. Over the years, the studio has hosted numerous hosts, beginning with Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford.
Kelly Ripa joined the show in 2001, and after Regis’ departure in 2011, she co-hosted with Michael Strahan and Ryan Seacrest. Today, she co-hosts alongside her husband, Mark Consuelos.
Though Consuelos officially became a co-host in April 2023, the couple’s connection to the studio goes far beyond their professional roles. “Our kids grew up here,” Consuelos reflects, mentioning how their children were frequent visitors, even as infants, during Kelly’s tenure on the show.
The couple shares three children: Michael, 27, Lola, 23, and Joaquin, 22. “They came to work with me every day until they went to school,” says Ripa. “They would come to All My Children with me, then come here with me… when we say they grew up in this building, in these four walls, we mean it.”
“You have to remember, I had my kids at a time when maternity leave wasn’t really a thing,” Ripa continues. “But the good news is you could bring your kids to work. Being able to balance being a full-time working mom and a full-time mother here is something I’ll always appreciate.”
The bond between the Consuelos family and the studio runs deep, with some of the couple’s closest friendships formed with the show’s staff. “Some of our closest friends are the people who work here,” says Consuelos. “Our kids grew up alongside them. They see our producers not just as colleagues but as second moms.”
Ripa echoes this sentiment: “Lola doesn’t view some of our producers as producers. She looks at them as other moms, people she can turn to in an emergency when I’m on set.”
The studio also holds a special place in their hearts for another reason: it brought them together. In 1996, before they were married, Ripa and Consuelos briefly broke up. However, they both ended up at the Live with Regis and Kathie Lee studio for an appearance as surprise guests during the show’s Mother’s Day special.
“We tried to get out of it, but we both ended up here,” recalls Consuelos. “It was in that moment that I realized I had made a huge mistake and asked her to marry me the next day.”
“It’s crazy,” says Ripa. “We owe a lot to this place, and it’s going to be hard to replicate.”
As Live with Kelly and Mark prepares to transition to its new studio, located at the Robert A. Iger Building in 7 Hudson Square, the iconic Upper West Side location will always remain a significant chapter in the show’s history. The new space, part of Walt Disney Company’s New York City headquarters, is already home to The View and Tamron Hall Show, with Good Morning America also expected to make the move later this year.
Despite the change, Kelly and Mark’s connection to their longtime studio will never fade. For them, it’s more than just a workplace—it’s a place that has shaped their family and their careers
