Kathie Lee Gifford

Kathie Lee Gifford was a singer and nightclub entertainer who rose to prominence in the late 1980s as the co-host of "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee." Her upbeat personality and frequent references to her husband, NFL star-turned-broadcaster Frank Gifford, and their two children, Cassidy and Cody, earned her the admiration of countless daytime television viewers. She maintained a sunny presence on television series and live performances before returning to regular hosting duties on "The Today Show" (NBC, 1952- ) in 2008, where she reinvented her once-conservative persona as a boozy, fun-loving older woman in the company of her cohost, Hoda Kotb. Gifford announced her retirement from "Today" in late 2018, announcing her departure date as April 2019.