Kathie Lee Gifford, 70, Reveals Why She Turned Down ‘Golden Bachelor’ – ‘They Want You In The Hot Tub’

Kathie Lee Gifford spoke out this week to shut down any speculation that she may be joining the dating reality show “The Golden Bachelor.”

Gifford Shuts Down ‘Golden Bachelorette’ Speculation

When her former “Today” co-host Hoda Kotb suggested her for “The Golden Bachelor,” which features people over 60 trying to find love, Gifford wasn’t having any of it.

“No, thank God,” said Gifford, 70, according to Fox News.

“Here’s the thing. You know what you get when you get in a hot tub? Diseases, diseases,” she continued. “And you know what happens when you start kissing on people that you have no idea where their lips have been? It’s just dumb. So, until you have a trust with someone … they don’t give you much time before they want you in the hot tub.”

“I’ve talked to the producers about it, and they said, ‘We realized it would be a different kind of show if you do it.’ I said, ‘Uhhh yeah!’ So, I don’t see it happening,” Gifford added.

Gifford went on to say that her son Cody would give the idea of her signing on for the dating reality show “a total yes.” Her daughter Cassidy, however, chimed in to say that her mother going on “The Golden Bachelorette” is “a hard no for me.”

 “I have no control over my mother,” she admitted.

Related: Kathie Lee Gifford Rebukes Cancel Culture – ‘It’s A Cancer…Jesus Would Never Cancel Someone’

Gifford’s Dating Life

Gifford was married to the former NFL star Frank Gifford from 1986 until he died in 2015 at the age of 84. Gifford has dated in the years since his death, but she’s decided to keep that part of her life private.

“I have someone very special in my life,” Gifford told People Magazine in 2022. “I’ve discovered that by not talking about it, it stays special.”

Last year, a source claimed to The Sun that Gifford was dating Richard Spitz, a businessman and the director of Strong Force Innovation Portfolios who is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

 “Kathie Lee and Richard have been enjoying each other’s company for some time,” the insider said. “They’re often spotted out and about in the Nashville area. She seems smitten and takes him everywhere.”

“It’s surprising she’s kept the relationship under wraps for this long,” the source added.

Related: Kathie Lee Gifford Reveals Why She’s Keeping Her Love Life Private

Gifford ‘Hurt’ By Kotb’s Comments

Last month, another source claimed that Gifford was livid after Kotb  seemingly disclosed a potential breakup between her and Spitz by telling the “Today” audience that she “would be perfect” on “The Golden Bachelorette.”

“Kathie Lee was hurt after Hoda and Jenna did a segment on the ‘Golden Bachelorette,’ and Hoda suggested her old friend Kathie as a candidate for the show,” the source said.

“Some would have been thrilled that Hoda held them up for production on her massive ‘Today Show’ platform, but not Kathie Lee,” the insider continued. “Kathie Lee was crushed that her friend outed her relationship status after she had done her best to keep everything with Richard under wraps.” 

We can certainly see why Gifford wants to keep her love life private, and why she has no interest in going on “The Golden Bachelorette.” In the end, Gifford is one of the only class acts left in the entertainment world, and other female stars would do well to follow her example!