Kathie Lee Gifford talks about her famous co-hosting gigs in a whole new way. Ahead of the release of her upcoming book I want to be important: your life is too short and too precious to waste, The popular TV host sat down with ET’s Rachel Smith for an intimate interview where she discussed her decision to leave two of television’s most popular morning shows.
“Part of it is just gut feeling, you know? I’ve been in this business for 60 years now, so I’ve had a lot of failures and a lot of successes – successes beyond my wildest dreams,” Gifford tells ET. “You’re sitting under four Emmys right now that I never thought I’d get. I’m grateful for that, but the older I get, the less that matters.”
Gifford was co-host Live with Regis and Kathie Lee (originally titled The Morning Show) with Regis Philbin from 1985 to 2000. The two were not only colleagues for 15 years – They remained extremely close friends to legendary television personality died a natural death in July 2020.
Thanks to the natural chemistry between Philbin and Gifford, the show was a huge hit. A popular part of the show was the first 15 minutes, in which the two not only chatted about current events, but also poked fun at each other’s personal lives, such as Gifford’s relationship with her husband, the late Frank Gifford, and their two children – son Cody and daughter Cassidy.
In 2001, Gifford left the show while Philbin remained on it live with a new host at the time Kelly Ripa. Gifford moved from ABC to NBC and joined Hoda Kotb as co-host of Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda. Gifford stayed there Today For 11 years before retiring and moved to Nashville in 2019.
“I’m looking [my Emmys] and I am grateful, thank you, Lord. But my trophies are the people I have touched in life, the people [in] In both places,” says Gifford. “I worked at Regis for 15 years and at Hoda for 11 years. The trophies we collect in life that really matter are human, you know?
Gifford adds that her “gut feeling combined with prayers” helped determine the right time to exit her coveted roles.
“I fill my mind and spirit with scriptures so I don’t have to look them up. I don’t have to google them, they’re in me, they’re in my DNA,” she explains. “And every time I have gone, whether it was Regis or Hoda, it was because it was prayed for deeply and God confirmed it over time.”
The mother of two says when people ask her twice how she left her “dream job,” she tells them they assume those are her dream jobs. “They weren’t. When I was dreaming as a little kid, there were no talk show hosts,” she says.
This isn’t the first time Gifford has said she dreams of more than just hosting TV shows. In August 2022, She told ET about her work with God is her dream job.
“So many people, when I left the show with Regis, after 15 incredible years with him and 11 years with Hoda, they all said, ‘How could you leave your dream job? Twice at the height of his success?’ and I say, “You’re just assuming it was my dream job. They never were,” Gifford said at the time. “My dream job is what I do now. At the moment, at the age of 69, as of yesterday.”
She continued, “I’ve dreamed of this my whole life and now I get to do it.”
Since retiring from co-hosting, Gifford has expanded her resume to include work as an actress, director and producer. She released the film, The wayand its accompanying book, The God of the Wayin 2022.
And in 2021, she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame just five stars from Philbins.
On Gifford’s 70th birthday last August, Kotb gave Today Audience an update about her former co-host from Gifford’s old Rockefeller Center in New York City.
“You know what, she’s living her best life,” Kotb shared on air. “When she decided to leave here and go to Nashville, all she did was create and make new memories. I think she’s happier than ever.”
I want to be important: your life is too short and too precious to waste by Kathie Lee Gifford will be available April 30 wherever books are sold.
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