Kathie Lee Gifford uncovers secret to thriving in her 70s

Fox News

27-05-2025

Kathie Lee Gifford reflected on how she is embracing life in her 70s.
The 71-year-old former "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" host serves as an ambassador for QVC's Quintessential 50, which is "a collective of inspiring women over 50 who show that life only gets better with age," according to a press release for the shopping network. On May 14, Gifford attended QVC's TikTok Super Brand Day, an event that marked the second year of QVC's Age of Possibility platform.
During an interview with Fox News Digital at the event, Gifford shared her thoughts on what the Age of Possibility meant to her.
"Maybe something different than it is to a lot of women who think 'Are there any possibilities left for me?'" Gifford said.
"And they have a sense of despair — some of them — a little sense of well, 'What am I here for anymore?'" she continued. "But I've always had purpose in my life. I've been solid and just steadfast. I've tried to be a believer in Almighty God, and if I wake up every morning, that means — I've got a pulse. That means he has got a purpose for me and that's what I try to do is listen to his voice. Figure out what that purpose is, and go about it holding his hand.
"And not getting ahead of Him because I can't do it without Him," Gifford added. "I can't breathe without Him, and never had a day in my life when I thought I could. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful that I came to that kind of faith early on in life. I don't know what I would have turned out to be in Hollywood if I hadn't been rooted in my faith. Right, wrong, immoral, moral. I mean, it saved me from a lot of despair."
"The God of the Way" author explained how she had approached each new decade of her life with purpose and gratitude.
WATCH: KATHIE LEE GIFFORD SHARES SECRET TO THRIVING IN HER 70S
"When I turned 50, I still had little kids," the mother of Cody, 35, and Cassidy, 31, said.
"And I was busy. I was still working with Regis. And then even at 60, I was working with Regis," Gifford continued. "And then I turned 71 this past year. "
"If you live in the past, you're gonna die there."
"I know it's hard to believe," she quipped. "There are things in my body I'm not happy about. But I've got a brand new book coming out. I've got three movies I'm writing and producing with my son. What else am I doing? I've got two new grandchildren coming. I will have five under the age of three in three years."
"I mean, if you live in the past, you're gonna die there. If you just concentrate on what you've lost in your life, you're going to miss out on what you still have. And God wants you to be grateful. Not enough grateful people in this world, you know? There just aren't."
WATCH: KATHIE LEE GIFFORD REFLECTS ON EMBRACING LIFE WITH GRATITUDE AT ANY AGE
Gifford launched her career as an actress, making her television debut with a guest appearance in an episode of the soap opera "Days of Our Lives." She gained wider recognition when she starred in the musical sitcom "Hee Haw Honeys" from 1978 to 1979. The series was a spin-off of the long-running variety show "Hee Haw."
She became a household name when she began hosting "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" alongside the late Regis Philbin, Gifford hosted the hit morning show from 1985 to 2000 and received 10 joint Daytime Emmy Award nominations for outstanding talk show host with Philbin.
Gifford went on to host the morning show "Today" with Hoda Kotb for 11 years, from 2008 to 2019. The duo earned two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for outstanding informative talk show host, winning in 2019.
She is also an accomplished playwright, producer, singer-songwriter, author and actress. Gifford has starred in numerous TV shows and movies during her career. She has written five musicals, including Broadway's "Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson," which starred Carolee Carmello. In 2013, Carmello received a Tony Award nomination for her performance in the show.
Gifford has also starred on Broadway, playing the role of Carol Burnett in Stephen Sondheim's "Putting It Together" and portraying Miss Hannigan in "Annie." As an author, Gifford has penned a number of books, including five New York Times bestsellers as well as children's books
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Gifford shared how she believes that her positive attitude and hard work has been the key to her success.
WATCH: KATHIE LEE GIFFORD RECALLS HOW SHE BEGAN WORKING WITH QVC
"There are a lot of people who feel entitled. I was never entitled to anything," she said. "But when I got a job, I was grateful. And I was never the prettiest girl that got the job, I was never the best singer, I was never the best dancer, I was never the best anything, but I was the best worker. And I had the best attitude. I was a producer's dream."
In addition to Gifford, QVC's TikTok Super Brand Day was also attended by other returning Q50 ambassadors, including former tennis star Billie Jean King, TV personality Stacy London and entrepreneur Barbara "Babs" Costello, as well as new ambassadors "Today" co-host Hoda Kotb, philanthropist Kathy Hilton and "Beverly Hills, 90210" alum Jennie Garth. While attending the event, Gifford and Kotb reunited on the red carpet.
During her interview with Fox News Digital, Gifford recalled how she came to work with QVC.
"They called me years ago when I was on with Regis and asked me to do a product line for them," she said. "So, I came out with some sort of a beauty product, I think it was a skin cream and a really, really good one. And they said, 'Now you know, you might have to stay there and come back every 20 minutes or every couple hours and do it in the middle of the night, and I said, 'OK, let's see how it goes.'"
"We sold out," Gifford recalled. "We sold $5 million worth of it in five minutes. I went, 'Oh.'"
"Now, that didn't happen every time I went to do QVC, but it was a nice big step first," she added with a smile.
Since then, Gifford said she has worked with QVC on and off over the years.
"They're an amazing organization," she said. "Technically, they're superb and nice, nice, nice people. And you know me, I don't hang out with mean ones. I do not do it."