Yesterday, Kathie Lee Gifford announced that she will be stepping down from her wine-soaked perch on the Today Show’s fourth hour after eleven years. Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb became fixtures of Today’s programming, day-drinking and interviewing minor celebrities and basically looking like they were enjoying themselves. People Magazine had a nice piece about how there’s no real scandal about Gifford’s resignation, she just wants to move on, and Today Show staffers will really miss her. For eleven years, Kathie Lee just signed one-year contracts, always telling people that she would only do it for one more year. According to Page Six, Kathie Lee only signed her 2018 contract because of the Matt Lauer stuff:
Kathie Lee Gifford wanted out of the “Today” show a year ago, Page Six has learned. Sources tell us that Gifford — who announced on Tuesday that she’s leaving the NBC show after 11 years — went to execs in the fall of 2017 and said she was ready to quit. But network insiders tell us that NBC News brass begged her to stay on for another year because the all-important morning show’s lineup was in upheaval, and they wanted to keep as much continuity as possible.
The execs even signed off on Gifford taking off big chunks of time to make movies and record music, so that she’d stick around. When Gifford initially raised her resignation with her bosses, Matt Lauer had just been booted from the “Today” show amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Megyn Kelly’s floundering hour was sending shockwaves through the franchise, and at the same time fans were still feeling the absence of favorite Tamron Hall. So we’re told that Gifford was offered a sweet deal to stay on for an 11th year co-hosting the beloved, wine-swilling fourth hour of “Today” with Hoda Kotb.
Meanwhile, sources tell Page Six that Jenna Bush Hager is the hot favorite to take over for Gifford. Hager has become popular with viewers and NBC News chiefs alike, we’re told, and is set to step into Gifford’s role when she leaves on her 11th anniversary in April 2019.
After she announced her departure from the show on the air Tuesday morning, Gifford said: “I know somebody wonderful will be sitting in this seat afterward.” And, “I have my idea who might be absolutely wonderful.”
I’ve seen Jenna Bush Hager on-air, in clips, and I’ve never really found her that impressive as a co-host or cultural reporter or whatever. I mean, she’s not a total nothingburger, and obviously she’s quite popular within NBC, but I just think it would be a mistake to put Hager in without a real search for a good replacement for Kathie Lee. There’s a huge generation gap too – Kathie Lee and Hoda worked because they were both blousy and boozy older gals. Eh.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Shhhh…Kathie Lee’s dark secret is that sometimes the wine is really just water
It’s a miracle!
Stuff happens with tv for all sorts of behind the scene reasons. I don’t envy the folks who work in that industry. She was a good sport to stay on extra to help sweep up the Lauer mess. (May he begone and never return!)
Sounded like a sweet gig!
Hager is the living, breathing version of
“Curb your enthusiasm”
While Hoda seems to like her, all that sweetness makes my teeth ache
They should do what they always do with the Regis and Kathie Lee/Kelly Ripa and whoever show, and just have a parade of guest hosts. (You can tell that I’m old because I always just want to call it Regis and Kathie Lee…..) I always think that is so fun!! And then they can maybe find someone who will work out best
Haha me too, still call it Regis and Kathy Lee and neither of them have been on it in years.
I don’t think they’ll keep Hoda in that hour either, not now that she’s got the prime seat. It makes sense that Kathy would leave first, give Hoda an excuse to bail, and then they can put Jenna and another perky non-offensive type in that slot.
Yup. Sadly. Advertisers pay more for a younger demographics. Hoda will take the early slot, and KLG is out “amicably” (my guess, huge payout, they can’t afford another scandal so they’ll pay upfront).
Jenna and someone also young and perky. It’ll be the sugar rush hour. Instead of boozy fun. Yuck. Bring back the wines!
They will replace her with a box of white Zinfandel and a crazy straw with a Speak n Spell toy from 1988 and no one will notice the difference
Bring back Tamron!
How about Meredith Vieira? Would she be open to day drinking?
Tameron Hall please!!
I vote for Jenna. They need to add young ideas. I don’t think she is too sugary. She is fun.
Must be nice to get a prime 7 figure job with absolutely no experience or qualifications because of your last name. 🙄
Jenna Bush, ugh. I remember when her Daddy was president, they leaned in heavily in “Jenna wants to be a teacher” and so she does a stint as a student teacher at a charter school for a few months, and then off to fluffy network TV gigs. Between her, Chelsea Clinton’s boring and highly paid stint a few years ago, and Luke Russert, not for nothing is NBC called the Nepotism Broadcasting Company.
Since the rumor is Matt Lauer ordered Natalie Morales’ transfer to the West Coast when he lost interest in her, maybe NBC should ask her if she would like to come back to NY.
Publicly the network is stating that Kathie Lee wants to leave, but the private reality is that the network didn’t renew her contract and they are allowing her to save face by saying she wanted out for a long time. They say she wants to pursue her movie projects. Really? She has movie offers? Remember when Joy Behar left the view and they stated she wanted to pursue other things? In actuality, Barbara Walters let her go, because Joy said something that annoyed her. Once Barbara left, Joy magically returned. This is the same scenario, except I don’t think Kathie Lee will come back.
Please not Jenna. She’s pleasant enough in short segments but doesn’t have that “it” factor at all.
Jenna Bush Hager is the definition of ‘getting ahead because of your last name’ because she’s actually an extremely average broadcaster. But NBC is not known for making good decisions so fully expecting it will be her!