Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Greenwich Film Festival 2015
Kathie Lee Gifford Says She ‘Misses’ Working on ‘Live’ With Late Cohost Regis Philbin: ‘Good Ol’ Days’
Kathie Lee Gifford is reminiscing about the past and one of her most iconic gigs to date.
The talk show host, 70, shared a throwback photo on Instagram with the caption, “Missing the good ol’ days of Live With Regis and Kathie Lee! #tbt (Sorry for the crop Frank!).”
Kathie Lee, who was married to Frank Gifford from 1986 until his death in 2015, cohosted Live With Regis and Kathie Lee for more than a decade before deciding to leave the show in 2000. She went on to cohost Today With Kathie Lee and Hoda in 2008, proving that her rapport with cohost Hoda Kotb was one of a kind.
Her time on Today lasted until 2019, when she marked her departure from the program with a tearful goodbye.
“The work that I want to do isn’t here anymore,” she said at the time. “I am an artist, I’m an actress, I’m a writer, I’m a songwriter, a director now. That’s the stuff that feeds my soul and I know that I’m running out of time to do those things.”
Years after walking away from the morning talk show scene, Kathie Lee opened up about her decision.
“So many people, when I left the show with Regis, after 15 unbelievable years with him, 11 years with Hoda, they all said, ‘How could you leave your dream job? Twice at the height of its success?’ and I go, ‘You’re just assuming that it was my dream job. They never were,’” she told Entertainment Tonight in August 2022. “My dream job is what I’m doing now. Right now, at the age of 69, as of yesterday.”
Regis died on July 25, 2020, at age 88. Kathie Lee spoke out after the death of her friend and longtime colleague.
“There are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift,” she wrote on Instagram. “We spent 15 years together bantering and bickering and laughing ourselves silly — a tradition and a friendship we shared up to this very day. I smile knowing somewhere in Heaven, at this very moment, he’s making someone laugh.”
“It brings me great comfort knowing that he had a personal relationship with his Lord that brought him great peace,” she added. “I send all the love in my heart to Joy, to his children, to the rest of his family and to the innumerable people he touched over his legendary life. There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be.”
Kathie Lee has been focused on her other passions in recent years, including singing and songwriting, writing books and acting. This year, the broadcaster teamed up with her daughter, Cassidy Gifford, to work on the series The Baxters, based on novels by Karen Kingsbury.
“It’s always great to work with people you love, doing work you love,” Kathie Lee told Parade of the project in March 2024. “I’ve paid my dues. And I want to work now with lovely people doing really good work.”
In addition to following her dreams with s number of special projects, Kathie Lee is a doting grandmother to three grandsons, Frankie, Ford and Finn. The proud grandparent is always documenting her sweet visits with the little ones on social media. It’s clear that she’s most grateful for all of the supportive people in her life.
“There’s not a day in my life where I don’t go somewhere and five people will come up and say, ‘I’ve watched you my whole life. Thank you so much.’ That brings me joy,” Kathie Lee told Closer in July 2024. “What matters in life is the people you’ve touched and the people you’ve changed.”
