By Brian Stelter, CNN Business
NEW YORK — Television icon Kathie Lee Gifford will bid farewell to NBC’s “Today” show next April.
“As we all know, Kathie Lee’s plate has been overflowing lately with film, music and book projects, and after giving us eleven extraordinary years, she’s decided to focus her attention full-time on those other creative endeavors,” NBC News President Noah Oppenheim wrote in an internal memo Tuesday morning.
Oppenheim called her a “legend” for her “enduring and endearing talents in morning television.”
Gifford has co-hosted the 10 a.m. hour of “Today” with Hoda Kotb since 2008. The hour is known for funny conversations, celebrity guests and free-flowing wine.
“In 2008, I joined the TODAY Show family intending to spend one year,” Gifford said in a statement on Tuesday. “But something unexpected happened along the way: I fell in love with a beautiful, talented, extraordinary Egyptian goddess named Hoda, and an amazing group of individuals who work tirelessly and joyfully at their jobs, many of them starting at midnight, creating an unprecedented four hours of live television. I stayed year after year making a million memories with people I will never forget. I leave TODAY with a grateful heart but I’m truly excited for this new creative season in my life. Many thanks to all the wonderful people who made the years fly by.”
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