Why We'll Miss Kathie Lee

摘要

In the history of talk-show hosts, has a host ever talked more than Kathie Lee Gifford? Her dogs, her husband, her kids, her stretch marks—and that was all before the first commercial. Since the day she joined Regis Philbin on "The Morning Show" (as "Live!" was called in 1985), Gifford has been off and running her mouth. She's made plenty of enemies. In a TV Guide poll, readers said Kathie Lee would be the first person they'd vote off the island on a celebrity version of "Survivor." But she's also got tons of fans, and rightfully so. When America was just learning to spill its guts to Oprah and Geraldo, Kathie Lee showed people it was OK to open up about life's triumphs and troubles—from bad hair days to a spouse's infidelity. As Gifford leaves "Live!" next week to have more time to perform, Newsweek looks back at her career. Told, via vintage Kathie quotes, in her own words—of course.