{"id":54769,"date":"2024-09-29T15:03:39","date_gmt":"2024-09-29T19:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/?p=54769"},"modified":"2024-09-29T15:03:39","modified_gmt":"2024-09-29T19:03:39","slug":"why-did-kathie-lee-gifford-leave-the-today-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/why-did-kathie-lee-gifford-leave-the-today-show\/54769\/","title":{"rendered":"Why did Kathie Lee Gifford leave the \u2018Today\u2019 show?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After 11 years of sharing laughs and heartwarming moments with Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee Gifford made her exit from NBC\u2019s TODAY<\/em> show back in 2019. With Kotb also stepping away from the program recently, fans are left wondering about the reasons behind Gifford\u2019s departure.<\/p>\n

Kathie Lee Gifford had become a beloved figure on TODAY<\/em>, where she spent over a decade in the fourth hour of the show. Her unique mix of humor, honesty, and warmth resonated with millions of viewers every weekday morning. The chemistry between her and co-host Kotb was undeniable, forming a dynamic partnership that tackled everything from light-hearted topics to more serious issues, making their segment a highlight for many fans.<\/p>\n

In 2019, when Gifford announced her decision to leave, Kotb took over the reins of the fourth hour alongside Jenna Bush Hager, who stepped into Gifford\u2019s role. Gifford\u2019s departure marked the end of an era, and her absence is still felt by those who cherished the special connection she and Kotb had.<\/p>\n

So, what prompted Gifford to part ways with the show?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kathie Lee Gifford Left TODAY<\/em> on Positive Terms<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Gifford\u2019s decision to leave TODAY<\/em> wasn\u2019t impulsive; it was something she had contemplated for quite a while. In fact, she had approached her bosses nearly two years before her final farewell, expressing her desire to explore other creative opportunities.<\/p>\n

As she shared on the show, Gifford had a growing passion for various artistic projects, including writing, acting in films, and creating music. She said, \u201cAll these other projects have been bubbling up in me, and they\u2019re so exciting \u2014 the movies and music and just so many wonderful this. And I need the time to do them properly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally, Gifford planned to leave in April 2018, coinciding with her 10-year anniversary on TODAY<\/em>. However, after NBC underwent some internal changes linked to Matt Lauer\u2019s sexual misconduct allegations, she decided to postpone her exit. This choice allowed her to remain on the show for an additional year while still working on her creative endeavors.<\/p>\n

Personal reasons also played a significant role in her decision. After the passing of her husband, Frank Gifford, in 2015, she started reevaluating her priorities and what she wanted for her future. This transformative experience influenced her choice to leave TODAY<\/em> and pursue new artistic ventures. Gifford emphasized, \u201cIf you\u2019re not being artistic, you die on the vine.\u201d<\/p>\n

After departing from TODAY<\/em>, Gifford dove into her creative passions with enthusiasm. In 2020, she wrote and starred in the film Then Came You<\/em>, alongside Craig Ferguson. She also published several books, including The God of the Way<\/em> in 2022, which accompanied her film The Way<\/em>. Overall, Gifford\u2019s shift from daily television to a broader range of projects allowed her to fully explore her creative side, embracing acting, directing, producing, and writing. Her contributions to the entertainment world were recognized in 2021 when she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, highlighting her lasting impact and versatility in showbiz.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After 11 years of sharing laughs and heartwarming moments with Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee Gifford made her exit from NBC\u2019s\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":294,"featured_media":54770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[18810],"class_list":["post-54769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-news","tag-kathie-lee-gifford"],"reading_time":"3 min read","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/294"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/usa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}