#How Sara Gore juggles two long-running talk shows

Sara Gore is flying under the radar as one of TV’s most prolific hosts. 

The former chef-turned-Emmy-winning personality currently hosts “Open House” (syndicated on NBC-owned stations) — where she covers topics such as celebrity real estate and food — and on WNBC/Ch 4’s lifestyle/talk show “New York Live” (weekdays at 11:30 a.m.), in which she explores New York activities and hot spots. Both shows have been airing for 14 and 12 years, respectively.

Gore, 44, answered some questions for The Post about her television career.

How did you pivot from the restaurant world to TV?

I was an actor and a chef —  when I wasn’t acting I was cooking, and vice versa. I went in and out of the two industries for a while. I had a catering business, I worked in restaurants, I was a personal chef, and I was working for Jean-Georges when I met an agent, who started sending me out for food-related hosting jobs. The first [job] I got was a cooking series for General Mills, and then I got a Food Network pilot. Then I was hired for this new thing that I hadn’t really known anything about, which was a broadband network [now called] LXTV, and the rest is history. That was in 2006. I ended up doing “Open House” and we’ve been doing that ever since.

Was it a big learning curve to jump from food into the world of real estate for “Open House?” 

I thought, “Is a real estate show something that people really want to watch?” Apparently it is, because 14 years later, we’re still doing it! There’s been so many real estate shows that have popped up since — but I like to think that we’re one of the originals on network TV. I have learned so much…You go in thinking you know about design or the basics of real estate, but I don’t think I really knew much at all when I started. I learned so much about the impact of wallpaper and how it’s not outdated anymore, or what things are worth [and] what makes something sell or not sell. I learned to appreciate everything about the industry. So it’s been a surprising journey for me, and I’ve loved every minute of it.

Have you seen any homes on “Open House” that particularly stood out to you?

We’re excited about doing some more celebrity home tours, which is a lot of fun. We have one with me and Richard Kirshenbaum, who shows me around a $19 million townhouse. I have to say that every home I go into every week tops the next. I think one of the greatest things about the show is that people in New York are so curious about how their neighbors are living. This past year has made it even more evident how we’re all on top of each other, but we all live in such different and unique way. It’s been so great with people messaging me and telling me that they’ve been binging “Open House” on Peacock or YouTube. It always makes me feel good to know that we’re reaching new viewers and that people are still loving the show. 

Is there an area of New York life that hosting “New York Live” has given you a deeper appreciation for?

We’ve been huge supporters of the Broadway community on “New York Live” since Day One. We’ve been fortunate enough to go to shows and I can’t wait for them to come back… to sit there and hold a Playbill and feel the energy in the room and know that everyone is so excited to be there and people are working again and earning a living in the thing that makes them the happiest. So it’s not even one show [that I’m looking forward to], it’s every show. I just can’t wait for theaters to be open again.

How challenging is it to juggle both shows?

They’re such a part of who I am and part of my daily routine. I’m so used to doing both of them and I love it. It was a challenge in the beginning of the pandemic, because we’re used to doing a live show every day, but I have to give our team so much credit for so quickly and seamlessly figuring it out. We are still doing the show from home. There have been many video bombs from kids, cats, dogs — you name it! — in my house. To me, I’m never like “How am I going to do this.” It’s just what I do.