There’s a Reason Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb Are the Toast of Morning TV

Cocktails, anyone?

"There are enough channels around where people can get a heavy dose of breaking and bad news," says Kotb. "Our show is a place to forget your troubles."

"We don't take ourselves seriously," adds Gifford. "If we're having fun, our audience has fun. Fun is contagious."

Case in point: Gifford and Kotb are poolside. It's noon now, and, as happens so often on their show, the pinot grigio is flowing. Gifford points at the bottle and shrugs: "It was Jesus' first miracle."

She and Kotb didn't start out drinking on the air, but a few years back, when comedian Chelsea Handler appeared to promote her book Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, the hostesses served her an array of cocktails. A week later actress Brooke Shields came as a guest and asked for a beverage. "Everybody started wanting their cocktails, and we couldn't be rude," Gifford says.

So now the hostesses launch almost every live show, at 10 a.m., with wineglasses in hand. The wine, says Kotb, "is a prop as much as anything, but it invites you to the party."

Earlier this year tabloid rumors swirled that the party was getting tense — that there was friction between Gifford and Kotb, and that Kotb was looking around for a new gig. While the two pals admit that they sometimes can get on each other's nerves, they insist that, unlike the stereotypes of cat-fighting professional women, their relationship is remarkably noncompetitive and trusting.

For instance, at the pool, perhaps emboldened by the fruit of the vine, Gifford and Kotb agree to put on swimsuits and take a dip for the photographer. Kotb squeals when the water hits her waistline, and Gifford jokes, "Does anyone mind if I pee?" While nothing seems off-limits for their comedic material, Gifford and Kotb, who recently broke up with a long-term boyfriend, agree that there is a line neither will cross.

"We know the vulnerable points," Gifford says. "You don't go for the cheap laugh."

 

Reality Checks

Both women say they're optimists, but they acknowledge that life's troubles can put a sunny disposition to the test. "You can be an optimist, and then the world falls out from under you," says Kotb, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and underwent a mastectomy. "At that point you either look for potholes everywhere, or you realize your life has margins, and you stop wasting time."

Gifford has had her share of hardships too, including a widely publicized philandering episode on the part of her husband in 1997. She admits to suffering from depression occasionally and says that her deep Christian faith has helped her to stay focused on the positive.

In addition, the way her younger sister dealt with near death and a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, after the birth of her only child, inspired her.

"I was furious with God that my beautiful sister, at age 23, would have a colostomy bag hanging off her body for the rest of her life," Gifford explains. "But she said, 'Don't curse God for this bag. It means I get to live the rest of my life, I get to see my daughter grow up.' I was looking at the wrong thing."

What inspires Gifford these days is a comment that the late actor Paul Newman once made to her at a fundraiser for the playhouse in Westport, Conn. "I said, 'Paul, I haven't seen you in so long. How are you?' " Gifford remembers. Newman answered: "I'm 80 years old. I have a pulse."

It has become her mantra. "If you have a pulse, you have a purpose," Gifford says. "Every morning, before I get out of bed now, I take my pulse. If I have one, that means that God's not finished with me yet. I still have work to do on this planet."

The afternoon is winding down, and Gifford and Kotb are enjoying a late lunch of chicken salad, watermelon and, of course, pinot grigio. They talk about the value of staying open to new experiences. "I thought my heart didn't have any more room for more people," Gifford says. "I felt I didn't have enough time for the friends I already had. But if I hadn't made room for Hoda, I would have missed out on one of the great blessings of my life."

"By the time you reach my age, you generally know what's in you," says Kotb. "But I didn't know. It takes the right person to bring it out. I say thank you to Kathie Lee all the time. Before her, I'd still be doing what I was doing and not know what I was missing. My life would be half as full."

Gifford feels equally enriched by the partnership. "It's like an old man who's taken a young lover," she quips. "He's got a jaunty little step."

Meg Grant is the West Coast Editor for AARP The Magazine.

The World According to Hoda Kotb

Long-Ago Memory: Sledding. Me, my brother and sister, soaring down the hill and screaming wildly. I remember so clearly that rush. You're scared, but you're not; you're with your brother and sister; and there's not one thing on your mind except for, "We're right here, right now."

Most-Played Childhood Records: "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain & Tennille and "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John.

Admired Historical Figure: Anwar Sadat, because he was so bold. He went to the Knesset in Israel when the wounds of war weren't remotely healed. Usually, when you're entrenched in a war, the hate's so deep. But he said, "No, no, I'm going there."

Best Quality: I pick good friends. I like whom I choose to be in my world, and everyone around me is awesome.

Nightstand Essentials: My reading glasses — seven pairs, because I break and lose everything. And Regina Brett's book God Never Blinks. It's full of daily life lessons. She has just such great beautiful insight.

Zeroing In on 50: Kathie Lee regularly tells me that I'm perimenopausal — and I'm not yet, so stop rushing me!

Next Big Thing: I'm a believer that the next great love can be around the corner. Anderson Cooper's mom [fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt] once said, "I love falling in love." That totally lit me up. I really want to meet the right guy for me.

The World According to Kathie Lee

Never Again: Get married. [Laughs.] How could I marry again after Frank Gifford? Not possible. It's a little bit bull, but he'll love it.

Don't Miss Them a Bit: My bunions. I had them operated on, and I have gorgeous feet now. The first 10 days I wanted to murder my Zimbabwean surgeon, but after that, he was on Mount Olympus.

Youth vs. People of a Certain Age: The young ones are certainly not as interesting. They're just not!

Guilty Pleasure (Besides Pinot Grigio): Anonymous sex with sailors! That's what I want! No, what I like is guacamole and chips with red salsa!

Age-Defying Secret: Not Botox — though save some for me! It's kindness. You feel like a kid again when you do something kind.

Beauty at 50+: People who've left their egos at the door.

Life-Changing Book: The Bible. I read it every day for an hour. It changes my life on a daily basis.

Worst Purchase: I once got my mother a pink stuffed poodle for her birthday because I wanted it. That's not right. It wasn't about what would make her happy. I've never forgotten that.

Best Teacher: My father was the wisest human being I've ever known. He would say, "I love you too much to deny you the privilege of making mistakes."

Great Advice: Life is hard. Don't sit around and have a pity party. Make something beautiful out of it.