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How Hoda Kotb Gave Kathie Lee Gifford a "Christmas Miracle"

By Alyssa Ray Dec 07, 2020 7:31 PMTags

Former colleagues, forever friends.

On Monday, Dec. 7's all-new Daily Pop, Kathie Lee Gifford caught up with E!'s Carissa Culiner to discuss her new book, It's Never Too Late: Make the Next Act of Your Life the Best Act of Your Life. During this exclusive chat, Kathie touched on her recent return to TODAY as a guest.

As E! readers may've seen, while catching up with her former co-stars and promoting her new book, Kathie Lee was surprised by an admission by Hoda Kotb. The TODAY co-anchor told her former co-host, "You're gonna be proud of me, I read most of this one."

So, why was Kathie Lee so surprised? She explained to Carissa, "I called it a Christmas miracle 'cause she never reads my books. She makes me laugh."

Although Kathie Lee has been busier than ever since leaving TODAY over a year-and-a-half ago, she revealed that she still misses her friends at NBC.

"I miss that, honestly. I miss her, I miss our producers there, I miss so many of my crew," Kathie Lee relayed.

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Kathie Lee Gifford's Wackiest Today Show Moments

She continued, "My job at NBC, I was grateful for, but it was a job, you know? It was a job. But my friends are my friends, and I happened to leave a building and I happened to leave a job, but I will never leave my friends."

Speaking of Kathie Lee's friends, the TV personality turned actress and author had Dolly Parton write the forward for It's Never Too Late.

Nathan Congleton/NBC

On the "Jolene" singer's involvement, she shared, "Dolly and I have been friends forever. She is everybody's hero, heroine. She is the most real, most down to Earth, most adorable, brilliant person."

As Kathie Lee continued, she noted that Dolly and Barry Manilow have been "the two most influential people" in her life as they encouraged her writing.

It's Never Too Late is out now.