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Kathie Lee says she had a great love 'but I'd like to think it's not my last'

The departing TODAY anchor shares her thoughts on finding love again after loss.
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford opens up about the possibility of finding love after loss in a new interview for TODAY.AP
/ Source: TODAY

While Kathie Lee Gifford will soon say goodbye to TODAY, she plans to say hello to a variety of new opportunities — including movies, music and, who knows, maybe even a new romance.

At least, she's open to that.

"I don't have a wish," she said in a TODAY interview while considering the possibility of finding a new partner. "I have an awareness that I'm a very, very emotional person, I'm a very passionate person, and I don't want to be lonely for the rest of my life."

Loneliness is a topic she's spoken of many times since the 2015 death of Frank Gifford, her husband of 29 years.

Kathie Lee Gifford and Frank Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford and her late husband, former football player and sportscaster, Frank Gifford.Steve Sands / Getty Images

In fact, in a recent interview with AARP magazine, KLG discussed what she calls "crippling loneliness," a condition that requires creating "new memories" or else, as she stated bluntly, "the old ones are going to kill you."

And the thought of making new memories alongside someone else is an appealing one to her now.

"I'm open to a relationship, a new relationship that would be very, very different from the ones I've had in the past," she told TODAY.

To put it plainly, she added, "I've been blessed to have a great love ... but I'd like to think it's not my last one."

So her heart is ready for whatever lies ahead — both romantically and in other areas of her life. When her final week on TODAY comes to a close on Friday, the adventure begins.

Or, as she told Hoda Kotb during a recent SiriusXM radio interview, "I'm setting out on the rest of my journey."

And we wish her the best of luck!