Former Today host Kathie Lee Gifford reveals the hard truth about growing older

Kathie Lee Gifford is speaking candidly about the realities of aging.

The former Today co-host, who turns 73 this August, told Yahoo in a recent interview that growing older has brought undeniable challenges. 

“It just gets harder. Everything gets harder,” Gifford said bluntly. “The golden years? It's a lie.”

Gifford, known for her long career as a talk show host, singer, and author, shared that the body “knows how old you are and where you've been,” adding, “No keeping secrets from it.” 

She has undergone multiple procedures over the years, including hip replacement surgery in 2024, which she described as “one of the most painful situations of my entire life.”

“I walked, I climbed, I walked, and my doctor said, ‘Kathie, no. You have got to realize that this is serious,’" she recalled. “And I was off my walker in two days. I was off all my medications in three days, and then I did too much. I just did too much because that's who I am.”

Gifford has also faced other health challenges, including four operations last year, one following a fall that broke two bones on an uneven sidewalk. 

Despite these setbacks, she remains resilient and embraces life as it comes.

Beyond her health, Gifford has stayed busy creatively. She recently launched her newest book, Nero and Paul: How the Gospel of Grace Defeated the Ruler of Rome, marking her 37th published work. 

The book is the second installment in her Biblical non-fiction Ancient Evil/Living Hope series.

“These are epic, epic stories, but in the Bible, they're like black-and-white tales, with no room for the details,” Gifford explained. 

“I'm an entertainer at heart, a filmmaker and a songwriter, so imagining the details is what I do. I learned so much. I love learning new things. I want to learn something new every day.”