Since the 1980s, Kathie Lee Gifford has entertained countless viewers across the country. Now, the 72-year-old is enjoying time with her grandchildren and writing books.
But before fame, Kathie Lee was a teenage model. In a new social media update, she shared her very first magazine cover shoot. Fans immediately gushed over the photo and drew comparisons to one of Gifford’s family members.
Fans Rave Over Kathie Lee Gifford’s Blast From the Past
Before Kathie Lee Gifford got her start as a television host, she was a teen model. In a new update, she gave fans a peek into her past.
“My very first magazine cover shoot for Moody Monthly. I was 17 years old on my first trip to Israel, and little did I know what God had planned for me! #TBT” the former talk show host shared on Instagram.
In the photo, a teenage Kathie Lee Gifford gazes at something off-camera with big, soft brown eyes. Her brunette hair is tied back with a ribbon, the picture of style in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Fans went wild for the sweet photo, with many noting how much her daughter, Cassidy, resembles her.
“I thought it was your daughter! Always lovely Kathie Lee – inside and out,” one fan gushed over the throwback photo.
“Precious beautiful sweet angel, true beauty inside and out ❤️” another raved.
“Such a great photo of you! 😍” another fan chimed in.
The Talk Show Host Works Through Her Latest Health Challenges
Over the past year, Kathie Lee Gifford has undergone more than her fair share of health issues. Last year, she had a total hip replacement and then fractured it again. Afterward, she broke her arm after rolling on it in bed. Then, she fell and broke another bone. Even after all that, she required cataract surgery to help with her depth perception.
But through it all, she relies on her sense of humor and faith to help her move forward.
“I feel like Mr. Potato Head! One thing falls off and then another,” the 72-year-old shared with PEOPLE this summer. “But you have to have a sense of humor about everything. Thank God I’ve never lost that, even in my bleakest moments. I’m a tough broad.”
Now that Gifford is in her 70s, she’s started thinking about the legacy she will leave behind.
“I want to be remembered as somebody that if they only met me one time, they think, ‘She was kind. She made me laugh,'” the former “Today” host told the outlet.
Kathie Lee Gifford is a deeply religious person and shares her faith through writing. She published her latest book, “Nero and Paul: How the Gospel of Grace Defeated the Ruler of Rome (Ancient Evil, Living Hope)” this year. At the end of the day, the talk show host hopes she will be remembered for her sincerity and authenticity.
“I think the secret to being not just alive but thriving is authenticity,” Gifford added. “I’ve never been a different person on camera as off. I’ve never separated my spiritual life and my secular life. It’s all the same.”
