>>> WE’RE BACK WITH "TODAY’S TALKER."
TALKER." YOU KNOW WHO EVERYBODY IS
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. OUR GIRL, KATHIE LEE.
>> GET OFF THE PAGE.
>> YOU PROBABLY HEARD, SHE MADE
A DIG ABIG ANNOUNCEMENT ON TUESD
TAKE A LOOK.
>> I KNOW.
IT’S AN EXCITING TIME FOR ME.
AND I’M THRILLED ABOUT ALL OF
THE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING UP.
IT’S ALSO HARD BECAUSE THE
REASON I STAYED LONGER THAN A
YEAR IS BECAUSE I LOVE EVERYBODY
HERE SO MUCH.
>> THE MINUTE YOU STEPPED INTO
MY LIFE, WITH BOTH FEET,
EVERYTHING CHANGED.
EVERYTHING CHANGED. >> I WANT TO LEAVE IT THERE.
IT’S GOING TO BE THAT KIND OF
DAY.
DAY. NOBODY ELSE NEEDS IT, I SEE.
>> CLASSIC.
>> CLASSIC. CLASSIC.
CLASSIC. WE NEED IT FOR HERE.
>> LOVE YOU GUYS.
>> HOW DO YOU FEEL?
>> I AM SO RELIEVED.
I KNEW IT WAS COMING FOR A LONG,
LONG TIME.
LONG TIME. YOU WANT TO GET YOUR STORY OUT
BEFORE SOMEBODY ELSE TRIES TO
TELL YOUR STORY IN AN INACCURATE
WAY.
WAY. I TRIED TO BE AN AUTHENTIC
PERSON.
PERSON. I’VE BEEN HONEST ALL ALONG.
WHEN YOU’RE MISREPRESENTED, IT
BOTHERS YOU.
BOTHERS YOU. I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW MY
TRUTH.
TRUTH. AND HODA’S KNOWN IT FOR A LONG,
LONG TIME.
LONG TIME. ALL THESE PROJECTS ARE BUBBLING
UP IN ME.
UP IN ME. SO EXCITING.
SO EXCITING. MOVIES AND MUSIC AND JUST SO
MANY WONDERFUL THINGS.
AND I NEED THE TIME TO DO THEM
PROPERLY.
PROPERLY. AND I WENT TO OUR BOSSES HERE,
ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO.
AND SAID, I’M GOING TO DO ONE
MORE YEAR WITH HODA WOMAN.
I’M GOING TO RETIRE WITH TEN, A
NICE ROUND NUMBER, TEN NUMBERS
WITH MY SUN GODDESS FROM EGYPT.
AND SO, THAT WAS THE
ARRANGEMENT, UNTIL WE HAD
TURMOIL HERE IN OUR MIDST.
NOAH OPPENHEIM CAME TO ME AND
SAID, CAN YOU JUST STAY?
STAY A LITTLE LONGER.
I DON’T WANT TO LEAVE.
I HAVE TO DO EXTRA STUFF.
IF YOU CAN WORK IT OUT THAT I
CAN DO MY PROJECTS AND I STAY, I
WAS THRILLED WITH THAT DECISION.
NOW, THERE’S LIKE SIX OTHER
PROJECTS.
PROJECTS. AND I CAN’T DO THEM ALL.
>> THE STUDIO CAN’T CONTAIN YOU
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. >> IT’S INTERESTING TALKING
ABOUT WHAT’S AHEAD.
WE HAVE TO SIT FOR A MINUTE WITH
WHAT WAS.
WHAT WAS. THOSE 11 YEARS.
I ALWAYS FELT LIKE SITTING NEXT
TO YOU WAS LIKE A MASTER CLASS
IN THIS BROADCASTING BUSINESS
BECAUSE NOBODY, NOBODY, NOBODY
DOES IT LIKE YOU DO IT.
NOBODY EVER HAS AND NOBODY EVER
WILL.
WILL. AND IT’S -- YOU ARE ALL BY
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF. AND I THINK, LIKE, I THINK
EVERYTHING IS CONTAGIOUS.
YOUR FEARLESSNESS IS CONTAGIOUS.
I REMEMBER, IT WAS VALENTINE’S
DAY.
DAY. WE HAD JUST BEEN TOGETHER -- I’M
GOING TO MAKE YOU LAUGH NOW.
IT WAS VALENTINE’S DAY AND I
SAID, I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY.
I MET MY EX-HUSBAND ON
VALENTINE’S DAY.
VALENTINE’S DAY. MY DIVORCE PAPERS CAME ON
VALENTINE’S DAY.
VALENTINE’S DAY. AND YOU’RE LIKE, THAT’S SO SAD.
WE GET OUT TO THE SET AND
THERE’S BALLOONS AND FLOWERS.
AND I GO, HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY,
BUT KATH GOES, NOT FOR YOU.
IT’S FEARLESS AND EVERYTHING.
THERE’S SCIENCE OUTSIDEIGNS OUTS
>> NO, BIRTHDAY.
>> IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> I DON’T THINK WE CAN
UNDERESTIMATE WHAT AN IMPACT
YOU’VE HAD.
YOU’VE HAD. PEOPLE DWRUGREW UP WATCHING YOU.
THEY WATCHED YOU THROUGH EVERY
STAGE OF YOUR LIFE.
>> I KNOW.
>> YOUR MARRIAGE, YOUR CHILDREN.
LOSING FRANK.
LOSING FRANK. FULL-CIRCLE LIFE.
FULL-CIRCLE LIFE. >> IT DAWNED ON ME THE OTHER DAY
AND IT WAS SO FUN.
AT A CERTAIN AGE, YOU START
GETTING YOUR CARDS IN THE MAIL
THAT REMIND YOU OF WHAT YOU ARE
PAINFULLY AWARE OF, HOW OLD YOU
ARE.
ARE. THEN, YOU GET REBEATATES AND RED
REDUXES ONREDUX
REDUXES ONREDUX S
S REDUCTIONS ON ANYTHING YOU WANT
TO BUY BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN
ALIVE SO LONG.
AND JUST THINK THAT SENIOR
CITIZENS WILL BE GOING TO SEE
MOVIES THAT THIS SENIOR CITIZEN
HAS PUT OUT THERE.
>> YEAH, BABY.
>> THAT’S FUN, RIGHT?
IT’S NOT OVER, UNTIL THE LORD
TAKES YOU HOME.
YOU HAVE A PULSE, YOU HAVE A
PURPOSE.
PURPOSE. YOU KNOW WHO TAUGHT ME THAT WAS
PAUL NEWMAN.
PAUL NEWMAN. DO WE HAVE TIME FOR THIS LITTLE
STORY?
STORY? >> WE HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU
WANT.
WANT. >> PAUL NEWMAN, I WAS PRIVILEGED
TO BE A FRIEND OF HIS.
HE WAS THE FIRST INTERVIEW I DID
AT ANOTHER NETWORK AND A
DIFFERENT SHOW.
DIFFERENT SHOW. I WAS IN AWE OF HIM.
YEARS LATER, WE’RE AT A
FUND-RAISER.
FUND-RAISER. AND EVERYBODY WAS AROUND HIM.
I DON’T WANT TO BE ONE MORE
HANGER-ONNER AROUND PAUL.
I WENT INTO ANOTHER ROOM.
AND TEN MINUTES LATER, I FEEL
THIS ON THE BACK OF MY HEAD.
MY -- WHAT IS THIS, HODA?
>> YOUR BACK.
>> I TURN AROUND, AND THERE’S
PAUL NEWMAN, HE GETS DOWN ON ONE
KNEE.
KNEE. HE TAKES BOTH OF MY HANDS IN
HIS, AND KISSES THEM AND LOOKS
UP AT ME WITH THOSE EYES.
AND I SAID, OKAY, NOW, I CAN
DIE.
DIE. AND HE WAS GETTING UP.
AND HE WAS STRUGGLING TO GET UP.
AND I SAID, HOW ARE YOU, PAUL?
IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I’VE
SEEN YOU.
SEEN YOU. AND HE SAID, I HAVE A PULSE.
HE WAS IN HIS 80s.
WE DIDN’T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER
HE WOULD BE WITH US IN THIS
WORLD.
WORLD. I REMEMBER GOING HOME.
IT WAS A COLD, BITTER, SUNDAY
NIGHT.
NIGHT. FRANK DIDN’T WANT TO GO.
SMART, FRANK.
SMART, FRANK. FOOTBALL WAS ON TELEVISION THAT
NIGHT.
NIGHT. AND I GET HOME AND I’M TELLING
FRANK BY HOW MOVED I WAS BY THAT
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. JUST BECAUSE PAUL NUMBEWMAN KISS
YOUR HAND.
YOUR HAND. >> NO, PAUL NEWMAN WAS USING
HIMSELF FOR GOOD.
AND I LEARNED FROM HIM AND FROM
AUDREY HEPBURN, HOW A PERSON CAN
BE BLESSED TO HAVE A CAREER THAT
THE WORLD NOTICES THAT YOU LOVE
TO DO AND YOU LOVE TO DO IT.
BUT IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU.
IT’S ABOUT A PURPOSE.
AND NOBODY RAISED MORE MONEY
THAN PAUL NEWMAN DID.
NEWMAN’S OWN, AND THE HOLE IN
THE WALL GANG.
I EMULATED PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
THAT’S THE KIND OF PERSON I WANT
TO BE.
TO BE. >> WE’VE BEEN LEARNING FROM YOU,
KATH, THE SAME LESSONS.
COURAGE, FEARLESSNESS, AND IT’S
NEVER OVER.
NEVER OVER. WE CANNOT WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU
DO.
DO. WE WANT TO SPEND FOUR MONTHS
SINGING YOUR PARADES SRAISES.
>> I’M CALLING IT A KATHIE LEE
JUBILEE.
JUBILEE. >> IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME.
THIS WOMAN KNOWS.
THIS WOMAN KNOWS WHOEVER GETS
THE PRIVILEGE OF SITTING NEXT TO
YOU WILL HAVE THE TIME OF THEIR
LIFE.
LIFE. >> OH, MAN.
>> AND A FRIEND FOR LIFE.
LOVE YOU.
LOVE YOU. >> DO YOU WANT TO STICK AROUND
FOR "POP START"?
>> NO.
>> NO. LOVE YOU GUYS.
>> KATHIE LEE.
>> ALWAYS HONLSEST.
>> ALL RIGHT.