Daytime Divas Kathie Lee Gifford And Hoda Kotb Take A Dip In The Pool And Pose For The Cover Of AARP The Magazine

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Each morning, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb invite viewers nationwide into their lives, and together they bring the fun and sass back to daytime television. In the June/July issue of AARP The Magazine, the dynamic duo dish about their on-camera quirks, a mutual love of wine and the joy of being themselves on national television. They also open up about the genesis of their friendship and how it has reshaped their lives.

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The following are excerpts from the June/July issue of AARP The Magazine cover story, available in homes June 3^rd and online NOW at www.aarp.org/magazine.

On giving TODAY a fourth hour makeover
Hoda Kotb: "[When it first launched in 2007] It was a bore. It needed a spark plug."
Kathie Lee Gifford: "It needed trouble!"

HK: "[Kathie Lee] changed the room the minute she got there. People were laughing."

On returning to television
KLG: "It's so hard to find magic the first time. To think it could happen twice?"

On the genesis of their friendship
KLG: "I only knew the Dateline Hoda, but I had lunch with the happy hour Hoda. I loved her! [I said] You're the kind of person I'd be friends with for the rest of my life."

KLG: "I thought my heart didn't have any more room for more people. 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."

HK: "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."

On their show's uniqueness
HK: "Our show is a place to forget your troubles."

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

KLG: "Everybody started wanting cocktails, and we couldn't be rude."

HK: "[The wine] is a prop as much as anything, but it invites you to the party."

On maintaining a sunny disposition
HK: "… you either look for potholes everywhere, or you realize your life has margins, and you stop wasting time."

KLG: "If you have a pulse, you have a purpose. 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."

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

For the complete interview, along with behind the scenes video, check out http://www.aarp.org/magazine/.

About AARP The Magazine
With nearly 34 million readers, AARP The Magazine is the world's largest circulation magazine and the definitive lifestyle publication for Americans 50+. AARP The Magazine delivers comprehensive content through health and fitness features, financial guidance, consumer interest information and tips, celebrity interviews, and book and movie reviews. AARP The Magazine was founded in 1958 and is published bimonthly in print and continually online. Learn more at www.aarpmagazine.org.

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.  A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a bilingual news source.  AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates.  The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

SOURCE AARP