Kathie Lee Gifford to leave NBC’s ‘Today’ after 11 years

Make sure to let us know what you think... we now have comments turned ON below the article!

Little more than a month after NBC and Megyn Kelly dramatically parted ways, another major shakeup was just announced for that network’s popular “Today” show, though this change appears to be occurring on good terms.

It was announced on Tuesday, both in a memo to staff and on the air to viewers, that longtime host Kathie Lee Gifford will be leaving “Today” after 11 years as host.

“Bittersweet” departure

Gifford informed her fans of her impending departure during the fourth hour of the show on Tuesday. “I have something to share with everybody, and it’s bittersweet as these things always are,” she said.

“It’s an exciting time for me, and I’m thrilled about all the projects that are coming up. But it’s also hard … because I love everybody here so much,” she continued.

“I’ve been in this business 120 years and never worked with a more beautiful group of people who just give, give, give, every day,” the 65-year-old Gifford said. “Four hours of live television every day, five days a week. We have fun and we laugh and we support one another and we know each other’s kids names and we know when someone’s having a colonoscopy. We know everything! We do life together.”

“She is a legend”

The news was announced to “Today” show staff earlier in the day with a memo from NBC News President Noah Oppenheim, who wrote, “It is with mixed emotions that I share the news Kathie Lee Gifford has decided it’s time to leave TODAY.”

“As we all know, Kathie Lee’s plate has been overflowing lately with film, music and book projects, and after giving us eleven extraordinary years, she’s decided to focus her attention full-time on those other creative endeavors. During that time, Kathie Lee has cemented her status as one of the most enduring and endearing talents in morning television. In short — she is a legend.”

“As Kathie Lee told me today: ‘In 2008, I joined the TODAY Show family intending to spend one year. But something unexpected happened along the way: I fell in love with a beautiful, talented, extraordinary Egyptian goddess named Hoda [Kotb], and an amazing group of individuals who work tirelessly and joyfully at their jobs, many of them starting at midnight, creating an unprecedented four hours of live television. I stayed year after year making a million memories with people I will never forget.'”

Second Try

Gifford had previously planned to move on from “Today” in 2017, telling People, “You get to a point of your life where you run out of time to do what you want to do.” But in the chaotic wake of fellow host Matt Lauer’s departure over sexual harassment allegations, NBC persuaded her to stay a little longer.

“Some things were painful for us. And we had to adjust, and then they said, ‘If we accommodate your schedule, will you consider staying?’ I wasn’t looking to get out, but I needed the time,” Gifford said. “So when they accommodated the schedule, then there was no reason to leave. … There’s no better place in a 50-year career. It all worked out, so I’m staying.”

Final Date

Gifford will stay on with the “Today” show until April 7, 2019, which will officially mark 11 years with the program. It is unclear what sort of “other creative endeavors” Gifford has lined up to do next.

[show_poll poll_id=1136]

Gifford’s replacement on “Today” has yet to be decided, although that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating. “Today” regular Jenna Bush Hager is a favorite for the spot.

1,332 Responses

  1. The next time I read a blog, Hopefully it does not fail me as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought you would have something useful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something that you could possibly fix if you weren’t too busy searching for attention.

  2. I’d like to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this website. I really hope to see the same high-grade blog posts by you later on as well. In truth, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my very own website now 😉

  3. I truly love your blog.. Excellent colors & theme. Did you build this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my own blog and would like to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is named. Thanks!

  4. You have made some decent points there. I checked on the web for more information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this web site.|

  5. Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is important and all. However think of if you added some great images or videos to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and clips, this site could certainly be one of the greatest in its niche. Good blog!

  6. David-Home Northeast is your premier source for all of your Real Estate investing needs. We provide a variety of solutions for sellers looking to sell fast and investors looking to grow their real estate investment portfolios for better returns. At David-Home Northeast, we are dedicated to improving and redeveloping the areas that we operate in. We specialize in helping sellers of distressed properties (single and multi-family homes, commercial, retail, bank REOs, etc.) find buyers looking to invest. Let us put our network of cash home buyers and private money lenders to work for you so you can say “David” to that old unwanted property.

  7. I’m really loving the theme/design of your site. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility issues? A number of my blog readers have complained about my site not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Opera. Do you have any suggestions to help fix this issue?|

  8. Virtually all of what you say happens to be astonishingly precise and that makes me wonder the reason why I hadn’t looked at this in this light before. Your article truly did turn the light on for me personally as far as this subject matter goes. But there is just one position I am not too cozy with so whilst I attempt to reconcile that with the actual central theme of the issue, let me observe exactly what all the rest of your readers have to say.Very well done.

  9. GEM-CAR auto repair shop management software is arguably the most comprehensive software of its kind currently available. Lauded for its easy to use modules including CRM, digital inspection and electronic punch clock: it provides the repair shop operator with a complete system to run the business. GEM-CAR puts the shop operator firmly in the driver’s seat. And if you are a fleet operator look for GEM-FLEET our fleet management software.

  10. whoah this weblog is excellent i really like reading your articles. Keep up the great work! You realize, a lot of people are hunting round for this information, you could help them greatly.

  11. Hi there, There’s no doubt that your site could be having web browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine however, if opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up! Aside from that, fantastic website!

  12. I am really enjoying the theme/design of your website. Do you ever run into any browser compatibility issues? A couple of my blog visitors have complained about my site not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari. Do you have any ideas to help fix this problem?

  13. I have seen that fees for internet degree experts tend to be an awesome value. For example a full College Degree in Communication in the University of Phoenix Online consists of 60 credits from $515/credit or $30,900. Also American Intercontinental University Online makes available Bachelors of Business Administration with a entire program element of 180 units and a price of $30,560. Online studying has made obtaining your higher education degree much simpler because you can certainly earn your own degree in the comfort of your abode and when you finish working. Thanks for all other tips I have certainly learned through your web-site.

  14. hello there and thank you for your info – I have certainly picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise a few technical issues using this site, as I experienced to reload the site a lot of times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your web host is OK? Not that I’m complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and can damage your high-quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I’m adding this RSS to my email and could look out for a lot more of your respective interesting content. Make sure you update this again very soon..

  15. Great – I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your web site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs as well as related information ended up being truly simple to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it at all. Reasonably unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or anything, web site theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Nice task.

  16. hello!,I like your writing so much! share we communicate more about your article on AOL? I require an expert on this area to solve my problem. May be that’s you! Looking forward to see you.

  17. Aw, this was an exceptionally good post. Taking the time and actual effort to generate a superb article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and don’t manage to get anything done.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Popular