Detroit Free Press - United States - TMZ.com reports that NBC is about to hire Kathie Lee Gifford -- once Regis Philbin's daily morning partner on "Live with Regis and..." -- to be the new cohost of the block of "Today" that is seen in Detroit at 11 a.m. weekdays. (It airs at 10 a.m. elsewhere.)

Gifford spent 15 bumptious years with Philbin, leaving in 2000.

Any reason to hedge? An NBC rep gave TMZ.com a non-denial denial: "We think Kathie Lee is a tremendous talent, but we have nothing to announce."

Meanwhile "Insider" host Pat O'Brien, out of rehab for the second time, also drew TMZ attention by being

New York Post - New York, NY, USA - KATHIE Lee Gifford yesterday revealed for the first time that she quit her famous morning TV job with Regis Philbin in 2000 to be with her dying father.

"My daddy was dying, and I was not comfortable making it public," Gifford says. "I had a very personal reason for not going through yet one more painful experience in a public way."

Gifford says her father, Aaron Leon Epstein, was suffering from a progressive brain disease similar to Alzheimer's called Lewy Body Dementia (LBD).

Epstein, 78, died in 2002, two years after Gifford left the show.

Kathie Lee - who next month will return to

Albuquerque Tribune - Albuquerque, NM, USA - Kathie Lee Gifford will drop by "Live With Regis and Kelly" to celebrate the daytime talk show's 20th anniversary.

Gifford, who left as co-host in 2000, is slated to appear Sept. 14, when Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa take a look back at the show's most memorable moments. Ripa joined the show as co-host in 2001.

"Our 20th anniversary is a huge milestone for the show," Executive Producer Michael Gelman said on Aug. 14 in a statement. "Few television shows reach a year on the air, much less two decades."

"Live" will celebrate its 20th season in national syndication with two weeks of

TheCelebrityCafe.com - Valley Stream, NY, USA - Kathie Lee Gifford will make an apearance on “Live With Regis and Kelly“ to celebrate the 20th season.

It's hard to believe that it was seven years ago that Kathie Lee Gifford left the comfort of her chair on "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee". Another thing added to the “unbelievable” list is that the show is encroaching on their 20th season. In celebration for the big 2-0, Gifford has agreed to be a guest host, according to E!Online. "Our 20th anniversary is a huge milestone for the show," executive producer Michael Gelman said. "Few television shows reach a year on

E! Online - USA - China (as in, dishes) would be the traditional thing to give a person on his 20th anniversary. Regis Philbin, however, will be getting a blast from the past.

Kathie Lee Gifford is scheduled to be a guest on Live with Regis and Kelly next month, to help mark the beginning of the morning show's 20th season on the air in national syndication.

The perky chat maven left the show, then called Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, in July 2000, after occupying the chair next to Philbin's for 15 years. Kelly Ripa was plucked from the ensuing parade of guest hosts to

PR Newswire (press release) - New York, NY, USA - Morning favorite "Live with Regis and Kelly" will celebrate a landmark milestone this fall, as the top-rated talk show celebrates its 20th season on the air in national syndication. To mark this remarkable broadcasting achievement, "Live" is pulling out all the stops with a two-week celebration that kicks off on Monday, September 3, 2007. The festivities will culminate on Friday, September 14, when hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa host a full hour showcasing "Live's" most memorable moments, including special guest Kathie Lee Gifford.

In addition, "Live" is teaming up with the Chrysler brand for one of its biggest giveaways to