Your mornings are about to get a little brighter, because Live with Kelly and Mark‘s return is nearly here.
DECIDER can exclusively reveal the guest lineup for the first week of Live with Kelly and Mark Season 39, and per usual, the slate is star-studded.
While Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos‘ first live show back in the studio will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 8, Live with Kelly and Mark will air a brand new episode on Monday, Sept. 7, featuring guests Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Misty Copeland. Tuesday’s return to the studio will feature visits from Lizzo and Kal Penn, as well as a performance from Tift Merritt.
On Wednesday, Sept. 9, the co-hosts will chat with Gal Gadot, and Jim Kwik will stop by to share a “positivity puzzle.” The Thursday, Sept. 10 episode, which also marks another “Shopping Day at Live” with Monica Mangin, will include a sit-down with Sandra Bullock, and a visit from Dr. Gail Saltz. The week will close out with appearances from Sherri Shepherd and Theo James on Friday, Sept. 11.
While chatting with DECIDER over the phone ahead of the new season, Live with Kelly and Mark Executive Producer Michael Gelman teased that fans can expect as stellar of a lineup throughout the entire fall, noting that they’ve “got a lot of great people coming in.”
“Some big stars,” he added. “There are some big movies coming out.”
According to the storied EP, “the outreach is constant” in maintaining such a stacked roster of guests, as the show’s two bookers are “talking to every movie company, every TV company, every PR company” as far as “six months [to] a year in advance” as release schedules are announced.
Gelman likened the daytime talk show’s schedule to “putting together a puzzle every day to get the guests on the show,” explaining that as the moving parts of the TV and film release schedule and Live‘s availability fall into place, the schedule eventually gets laid out. Thanks to Ripa, Consuelos, and Gelman’s production staff — which is only comprised of about 24 members, as well as additional support — Live has become a must-visit stop on stars’ press tours.
“It’s tough, but we get the best guests. People love coming on our show because it’s a lot of fun and it’s not, like, a threatening atmosphere,” he shared. “We try to make it fun for them.”
More from our conversation with Gelman about Live with Kelly and Mark Season 39 to come!
Live with Kelly and Mark airs on weekdays. Check out their website for your local listings.