ET spoke with Gifford ahead of the launch of her new film, 'The Way,' and the companion book, 'God of the Way.'
Kathie Lee Gifford is loving being a grandma. While speaking with ET's Rachel Smith about her new movie, The Way, and its companion book, The God of the Way, Gifford shared an update on what it's been like watching her son, Cody, become a dad and what her late husband, Frank Gifford -- who died in 2015 -- would think of their grandson being named after him.
"'Why did you give him my name? Why did you do that?' I could just hear him," Gifford quips. "Well, you know what, Frank was -- the man is in eight halls of fame. And, like, many that you can sort of lie your way into, every one that Frank was in, he earned. He did everything the old-fashioned way, he just earned it. And Frank had every reason in the world to be an arrogant man."
She continues, "He never was, and it was my favorite thing about him. He was the most modest individual I have ever known. He was, and 'cause you know why? He was grateful. He'd grown up poverty stricken in the dust bowls of Oklahoma and California and Texas. His father was an oil worker. And they ate dog food and were grateful for it at times, so that's what I don't see when I look around the world today in young people, and there are some, but this attitude of entitlement -- it just makes me sick."
While those life lessons and the life Gifford, who was born in Europe, has been able to have are things she's grateful for, the former Today show co-host said Frank would be "grateful" at how his son's life has turned out.
"We are the most blessed people on the planet to live in this country," Gifford says. "We have our problems, but look how far we have come. And it upsets me, because I chose citizenship in this country. I was born in Europe, but Frank -- he would be grateful that his son is doing so well and has a beautiful wife, and they have a beautiful son."
"He's already got his own fan club," she gushed of her grandson. "Mr. Franks. Frankie Fridays."
Gifford had previously told ET she had hoped her future grandkid would call her Glamma, which is a term her daughter-in-law had referenced in the comments section of the video Gifford posted to announce the baby news. But Gifford is going with another term of endearment.
"I don't like the word grandma," Gifford admits. "Bubby. No, bub, because of bubbalah. It's a Yiddish word meaning my delight, my adored one. Bubbalah. My bubbalah. Bubbalah. Bubbalah. Yiddish."
"Just a fun little Jewish language," she adds. "But so, the grandma name for that is Bubby. Buh."
Gifford's movie, The Way, and her companion book, The God of the Way, are out Sept. 1.
For more on the former TV personality, check out the video below.
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