Leeza Gibbons
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Leeza Kim Gibbons (born March 26, 1957) is an American
talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
host. She is best known as a correspondent and co-host for ''
Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...
'' (1984–2000) as well as for having her own syndicated daytime talk show, ''
Leeza ''Leeza'' is an NBC and syndicated daytime television talk show. It premiered on June 14, 1993 as ''John & Leeza from Hollywood'', hosted by John Tesh and Leeza Gibbons. Tesh left the show after seven months, and on January 17, 1994, the pro ...
'' (1993–2000). In 2013, her book ''Take 2'' became a ''New York Times'' bestseller and she won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Host in a Lifestyle or Travel program for the PBS show, ''My Generation''. On February 16, 2015, Gibbons was named the winner of ''
Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, an ...
''; while on the show she raised $714,000 for her charity Leeza's Care Connection.


Biography


Early life

Leeza Gibbons was born in
Hartsville, South Carolina Hartsville is the largest city in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. It was chartered on December 11, 1891. The population was 7,764 at the 2010 census. Hartsville was chosen as an All-America City in 1996 and again in 2016. Har ...
, the daughter of Jean and Dr. Carlos Gibbons. Gibbons has two siblings – a brother, Carlos Jr., and a sister, Cammy. Leeza Gibbons grew up in
Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
in a housing subdivision called Whitehall, and graduated from Irmo High School. After completing high school, Gibbons graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Carolina's school of journalism and mass communication. She was a member of the
Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta (), also known as Tri Delta, is an international women's fraternity founded on November 27, 1888 at Boston University by Sarah Ida Shaw, Eleanor Dorcas Pond, Isabel Morgan Breed, and Florence Isabelle Stewart. Tri Delta part ...
sorority at the university.


Career

Leeza Gibbons's television career started at
WSPA-TV WSPA-TV (channel 7) is a television station licensed to Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States, serving Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Asheville, North C ...
in
Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat, seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest c ...
. Next she was the co host of ''
PM Magazine ''PM/Evening Magazine'' is a television series with a news and entertainment format. It was syndicated to stations throughout the United States. In most areas, ''Evening/PM Magazine'' was broadcast from the late 1970s into the late 1980s. Origi ...
'' for
KFDM-TV KFDM (channel 6) is a television station in Beaumont, Texas, United States, affiliated with CBS, The CW Plus, and Fox. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which provides certain services to Port Arthur–licensed Dabl affiliate KBTV-TV (cha ...
in
Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat, seat of government of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, metropo ...
, and then moved to sister station
WFAA-TV WFAA (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Dallas, Texas, United States, serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex as an affiliate of ABC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside Decatur-licensed Estrella TV affiliate KMPX (channel 29) ...
in
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
. The new position represented a major career step and came with media attention. In 1983 Gibbons joined
WCBS-TV WCBS-TV (channel 2) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–licensed independent station W ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, where she became a host on ''Two on the Town,'' a program modeled after ''PM Magazine''. Her co-host was
Robb Weller Robb Weller (born September 27, 1949) is an American game show host and television personality and producer (Weller/Grossman Productions). He hosted ''Entertainment Tonight'' from 1984 to 1986, and ''Entertainment This Week'' from 1984 to 1989, ...
. The following year both of them joined ''
Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...
'', with Gibbons as a reporter and co-anchor of the program's weekend edition. In the early to mid-1990s, Gibbons partnered with
Guthy-Renker Guthy-Renker ( ) is a California-based direct-response marketing company that sells health and beauty products directly to consumers through infomercials, television ads, direct mail, telemarketing, e-mail marketing, and the Internet. Many of ...
becoming a trailblazer in the world of direct response. She was the first television star on a daily show to be featured in an infomercial as she starred in back-to-back blockbusters (''Personal Power 2'' and ''Get the Edge'') with a young
Tony Robbins Anthony Jay Robbins (né Mahavoric, born February 29, 1960) is an American author, coach, speaker, and philanthropist. He is known for his infomercials, seminars, and self-help books including the books '' Unlimited Power'' and ''Awaken the G ...
. ''
Leeza ''Leeza'' is an NBC and syndicated daytime television talk show. It premiered on June 14, 1993 as ''John & Leeza from Hollywood'', hosted by John Tesh and Leeza Gibbons. Tesh left the show after seven months, and on January 17, 1994, the pro ...
'' was her own
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
/syndicated talk show; it ran from June 1993 to September 2000. The show originated as ''John & Leeza from Hollywood'', with former ''Entertainment Tonight'' co-host
John Tesh John Frank Tesh (born July 9, 1952) is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. He hosts the ''Intelligence for Your Life'' radio show. In addition, since 2014, he has hosted ''Intelligen ...
. Tesh was dropped from the show after seven months, and Gibbons was the host for the remainder of the series. From 2001 to 2003, Gibbons was the host and managing editor of the television show ''Extra''. Beginning in 2011, she was the host of the PBS talk show ''My Generation'' (2011–2014) and co-host and executive producer of the syndicated
news magazine A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published magazine, radio or television program, usually published weekly, consisting of articles about current events. News magazines generally discuss stories, in greater depth than do newspapers or new ...
show '' America Now'' (2011–2015). In the 1990s, Gibbons hosted the radio show ''Blockbuster Top 25 Countdown with Leeza Gibbons.'' She counted down the hits in
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
and
Hot Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...
formats, and presented entertainment news and pre-recorded interviews. When Blockbuster Video stopped sponsoring the program in 1999, the show's name was changed to ''Leeza Gibbons' Top 25 Countdown''. In January 2001, the countdown was dropped and the show was renamed ''Leeza Gibbons' Hollywood Confidential;'' the show continued until 2013. In 1998, Gibbons received the Congressional Horizon Award (1998) for her work on children's issues. In early 2000s, Gibbons launched her mineral makeup line, Sheer Cover Studio, with Guthy-Renker. Sheer Cover continues to be sold around the world. In 2005, Gibbons received the Public Leadership in Neurology Award from the
American Academy of Neurology The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is a professional society representing over 38,000 neurologists and neuroscientists. As a medical specialty society it was established in 1948 by A.B. Baker of the University of Minnesota to advance the ...
for raising awareness about
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
. On November 14, 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the appointment of Gibbons to the board that oversees California's stem cell research agency, filling a slot designated for a patient advocate for Alzheimer's. Her nonprofit group, Leeza's Place, is aimed at caregivers for persons with memory disorders. Her efforts to raise attention for memory disorders grew out of her own family's experience with her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and died in May 2008. Gibbons replaced
Meredith Vieira Meredith Louise Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an American broadcast journalist and television personality. She is best known as the original moderator of the daytime talk show '' The View'' (1997–2006), the original host of the syndicated ...
for a week of ''
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (often informally called ''Millionaire'') is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and l ...
'' shows on June 23–27, 2008. In May 2009 Gibbons' new book, ''Take Your Oxygen First: Protecting Your Health and Happiness While Caring for a Loved One with Memory Loss'', tells the story of Leeza's family's personal struggle with
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
after her mother's diagnosis. In 2013, Gibbons won a
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
for Outstanding Lifestyle/Travel Host for the
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
series'' My Generation''. In 2015, she won the NBC reality game-show series ''
Celebrity Apprentice ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' is an American television reality competition series. It was a variation of ''The Apprentice'' series, hosted by then real estate developer (later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump from 2008 to 2015, an ...
''. She began co-hosting the ''
Rose Parade The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if N ...
'' on January 2, 2017. In 2015, Gibbons received the Icon award from the Electronic Retailing Association, where it was announced that Gibbons had crossed the $1 billion mark in sales. Her partnership with Guthy-Renker is the longest studio/talent relationship in infomercial history.


Personal life

Gibbons has been married four times; she was married to John Hicks from 1980 to 1982. From 1989 to 1991, she was married to British actor
Christopher Quinten Christopher Quinten (born Christopher Bell; 12 July 1957) is a British actor, best known for his role as Brian Tilsley on '' Coronation Street'', which he played from 1978 to 1989. Career Quinten started his career as a dancer in West End prod ...
, whom she met when they both participated in the 1988 New Zealand Telethon. She and Quinten have a daughter, Jordan Alexandra (Lexi) Gibbons. Leeza Gibbons was married to actor Stephen Meadows from 1991 to 2005, and they have two sons, Troy and Nathan Daniel. In 2011, she married ''New York Times'' best selling author, Steven Fenton, in
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
. Fenton is the son of the former mayor of Beverly Hills, Frank M. Fenton. Gibbons is a member of
Hollywood United Methodist Church Hollywood United Methodist Church is a United Methodist church located at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Highland Avenue in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Its English Gothic architecture and the giant ...
, and all of her children were baptized there. Her grandmother and mother have been diagnosed with
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
.


References


External links

*
Leeza's Care Connection
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gibbons, Leeza 1957 births American infotainers American radio personalities American television talk show hosts Daytime Emmy Award winners Living people Participants in American reality television series People from Columbia, South Carolina People from Hartsville, South Carolina People from Irmo, South Carolina American United Methodists University of South Carolina alumni The Apprentice (franchise) winners