Raise your glass (of wine) to Kathie Lee Gifford!
On Friday, Today said goodbye to the 65-year-old, who has filmed with co-host Hoda Kotb for nearly 11 years.
However, before the media personality gets replaced by Jenna Bush Hager, the daytime talk show gave Gifford a fitting and touching sendoff.
Related: 10 Ridiculous, Candid, & Heartwarming Moments From Kathie’s Time On ‘TODAY’!
To the tune of Flo Rida‘s Sweet Sensation, Kathie and Hoda greeted the audience in matching red jumpsuits.
In regards to her last show, Gifford exclaimed:
“I feel great… I have no expectations. You just want to bear it well…You also want to remind people of why this show worked in the beginning — because we have fun. We have a friendship and its real. We have a great love and affection and respect for our audience.”
During their final episode together, the two reminisced about Kathie’s career, including her appearance in an old Carnival Cruise commercial from 1984.
Additionally, Gifford was surprised with a video message from her former Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee co-host, Regis Philbin!
The 87-year-old said:
“Kathie Lee, you want to know the best part of my life, my TV life, was in the 15 years I spent with you… We stayed friends throughout the entire game, and it was a lot of fun… I know you’re going to be on to a great new career, making movies. I know you’re gonna be a great success, I really mean it.”
Later, during a fun trivia round hosted by John Cena, it was revealed that Kathie and Hoda drank 5,300 glasses of wine onscreen together!
Additionally, Barry Manilow appeared on stage and gave a bouquet of flowers to the woman of the hour. Then, he serenaded everyone with a rendition of Can’t Smile Without You.
At the end, Kotb and Gifford brought the whole Today show cast onstage for a final toast. Gifford said:
“I have 30 seconds to say what has taken me a lifetime to say… Jeremiah 29 says, ‘I know the plans I have you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope.’ That’s not just true for me you guys. That’s true for everybody watching. Trust him. Let him love like he wants to love you, like I am loved by all of you. Thank you.'”
In December 2018, Kathie announced she was leaving Today with the following emotional address:
“I have something to share with everybody. It’s bittersweet as these things always are, but I have been here almost 11 years. Thought I would stay one year. Something happened along the way and fell in love with a beautiful Egyptian goddess and when it’s our 11th anniversary I will be leaving the Today show… It’s an exciting time for me and I’m thrilled about the projects coming up, but it’s also hard is because the reason I stayed longer than a year is because I love everybody here. I have 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 five days a week… We have fun and we laugh and we support one another and know each other’s kids names and we know when somebody is having a colonoscopy. We do life together and nobody more so than my Hoda.”
We’re going to miss you, Kathie!
WATCH a clip of the episode (below):
[Image via Today/YouTube.]
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