Kathie Lee Gifford has been on the Today show for over a decade, and on Tuesday, fans were shocked when she made the announcement that she was going to be leaving the show for good. Hoda Kotb, Gifford’s co-host will be staying on so it won’t be a completely new show, but there is still speculation as to why Gifford is deciding to call it quits. Why is Kathie Lee Gifford leaving the Today show?
Why is Kathie Lee Gifford leaving the Today Show?
Gifford made the tearful announcement on Tuesday morning’s broadcast. “I have something to share with everybody and it’s bittersweet, as these things always are, but I’ve been here almost 11 years,” Gifford said. “Thought I would stay one year. Something happened along the way. Fell in love with a beautiful Egyptian goddess and now, when it’s our 11th anniversary, I’m going to be leaving the Today show. 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 the reason that I stayed longer than a year is because I love everybody here so much.”
After Gifford made the announcement, there were still a lot of people asking why is Kathie Lee Gifford leaving the Today show? There was also a lot of “tears” according to a source. “She always signed one-year contracts and she would always say, ‘This is my last year,’ but nobody ever thought she was actually going to leave,” the source told People. “Last year, they asked her to please stay [after Matt Lauer was fired] because there were so many changes going on, so she did. Now that she’s really leaving, it’s just really sad.”
“People are so sad she is leaving. People were sobbing,” the source continued. “People are so happy for her and she will of course stick around. She’ll be back here and there for sure. Everybody really loves working with her, so it’s sad for her to go. People are going to genuinely miss her. They know how excited she is about her movies and music, but selfishly people love her. She’s a legend.”
So why is Kathie Lee Gifford leaving the Today show? Although there is no single reason for her exit it seems that Gifford is being pulled in different directions creatively and with family. “She spends so much time in Nashville now,” the source said. “She decided to make that her second home. And she has a presence in Los Angeles, too, where her kids live. So she’ll be between New York, L.A. and Nashville.”
Gifford has a lot on her plate coming up with work leaving her time very limited. “It’s an exciting time for me, and I’m thrilled about all the projects that are coming up,” Gifford said. “But it’s also hard, because the reason I stayed longer than a year is because I love everybody here so much. 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. 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.”
“I feel so relieved… because I’ve known it was coming for a long, long time. You want to get your story out before somebody else tries to tell your story in an inaccurate way.” @kathielgifford talks about her major announcement yesterday – that she’s leaving TODAY in 2019. pic.twitter.com/PREDjHCZE0
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 12, 2018
Just hours before Gifford announced her exit from the show, there was a bit of controversy regarding a doctor from Seattle Grace Hospital. Ellen Pompeo who plays Meridith Grey on Grey’s Anatomy appeared on Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk to discuss her life raising her three biracial children with husband Chris Ivery. Pompeo did mention that she and her ex-co-star Patrick Dempsey have not spoken since he left the show. “We haven’t spoken since he’s left the show,” Pompeo said. “I have no hard feelings toward him, he’s a wonderful actor, and we made, you know, the best TV you could make together.”
When the Today show picked up the story they focused solely on the fact that Pompeo and Dempsey have not spoken in years rather than acknowledging the majority of what she said on Red Table Talk regarding her family. “Hey here’s a suggestion!! Maybe all of you over there lay off the booze and pay attention to the real conversation that took place ? ??????” the Grey’s Anatomy star tweeted after their article went live.Pompeo followed up her tweet with another directed at the social media team for the show “And whoever is in charge of this account.. the two women you work for deserve to be represented a bit more dignified.”
Hey here’s a suggestion!! Maybe all of you over there lay off the booze and pay attention to the real conversation that took place ? ?????? https://t.co/JJ5SUG9pgc
— Ellen Pompeo (@EllenPompeo) December 11, 2018
There has not been an official replacement announced for Gifford yet, but there are rumors that longtime correspondent for the show Jenna Bush Hager could be the top pick. What is known is that the longtime co-host will be greatly missed and there will always be fans asking why is Kathie Lee Gifford leaving the Today show?
