Kelly Ripa Isn't Sweating Kathie Lee Gifford's Shady Comments About Her Book
What do Kelly Ripa and Kathie Lee Gifford have in common? Well, they both worked alongside Regis Philbin for years on one of the most popular talk shows in recent memory, for one. Gifford appeared in the show from 1985 to 2000 (via NBC's "Today"), and Ripa replaced the star in 2001 (via IMDb) after a long search by producers. Today, she still sits in her hosting chair, but this time next to Ryan Seacrest.
Well, Ripa penned a book titled "Live Wire" where she detailed her time with Philbin (among many other things) and how it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. According to Us Weekly, Ripa said that Philbin didn't give her much eye contact during their first show, and there were a few more things that irked her. "My name had to be smaller than Regis's name on the 'Live!' title card and branding," she wrote. "A game of inches, which speaks for itself. But on that, we agreed. Seniority, after all." In an interview with People, Ripa also said she had both "good" and "bad" days with the late Philbin.
Once Gifford caught wind of the negativity surrounding her former co-host, she threw a little shade at Ripa. "I'm not gonna read the book. I haven't read it. I don't even know if it's out yet," she said, via Yahoo! Entertainment. "I just know what Regis was to me. He was, for 15 years, the best partner a person could ever, ever have professionally, but he was my friend." Now, Ripa is clapping back.
Kelly Ripa seems to shade Kathie Lee Gifford
Kelly Ripa doesn't seem to be bothered by Kathie Lee Gifford's comments. The two have been in a war of words as of late, and as of this writing, Ripa is the one to have the last say.... for now, at least! The talk show host appeared on the "Not Skinny But Not Fat" podcast, where she revealed that she had yet to see Gifford's interview. "So I tend to, like, not go into deep dives about things I can't comment on because I haven't seen them," she confessed. Ripa elaborated further as she defended herself, asking if she should "correct the record in real-time" or "not even comment" on things.
The current "Live! With Kelly and Ryan" star added that she knew writing the book would "open" her to a lot of outsider opinions, but it's all in context. "People who read the book have a very different take on those chapters because they read the book," the mother of three added, seeming to allude to the fact that Gifford hasn't read it. She also noted that any press is good press. "I am a person that tends to take a negative and turn it into a positive. And so my ultimate comment is, thank you," she said, adding that anybody who does read the book may have a different take on it.
Currently, Ripa's book, "Live Wire," is on the New York Times best-seller list, and it's safe to say that the buzz surrounding her beef with Gifford may have helped!