Cody Gifford may be taking more of a behind-the-scenes role in TV and film with his company, Gifford Media Group, but he has spent some time on screen, most notably alongside his famous mother, Kathie Lee Gifford. Aside from popping up on his mom's shows when he and his sister, Cassidy, were young, Cody also worked with Kathie Lee on Today as an intern when she hosted the fourth hour with Hoda Kotb.
Not only was Cody an all-around helper (as interns are!), but he also co-hosted a segment called "Weekend Movie Preview," where he gave his own recommendations and film critiques. However, Kathie Lee didn't always make the job easy for her son. "She keeps telling Jill [one of the other employees] that I have a crush on her," he joked during an interview with Today about how his mom embarrasses him at work. " ... Just little stuff like that, it's never been detrimental to me." Gushing about Kathie Lee's influence, Cody added, "She's been very, very supportive of everything I do, whether it's sports, whether it's this, whether it's pursuing a career in film studies and ultimately hopefully directing one day, she's been great."
Today show executive producer Jim Bell defended the decision to hire Cody amid cries of nepotism, telling the New York Post, "Is he getting an opportunity here? Yeah, but so be it. We like him and he's a smart kid and a good kid."
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