What is Leeza Gibbons' Net Worth and Salary?
Leeza Gibbons is an American talk show host and television presenter who has a net worth of $40 million. Leeza Gibbons is probably most famous for being a host on "Entertainment Tonight", "Extra" and her own talk show "Leeza". The show "Leeza" ran for seven seasons between 1993 and 2000 and was syndicated nationally. Additionally, Gibbons hosted the acclaimed PBS lifestyle show "My Generation," and competed on and won the seventh season of the reality game show "The Celebrity Apprentice" in 2015.
Early Life and Education
Leeza Gibbons was born on March 26, 1957 in Hartsville, South Carolina to Dr. Carlos and Jean. She has two siblings: a brother named Carlos Jr. and a sister named Cammy. Growing up, Gibbons was raised in Columbia, South Carolina in the Whitehall housing subdivision. She went to Irmo High School, and subsequently attended the University of South Carolina to study journalism and mass communication.
Career Beginnings on Television
Gibbons began her television career working for WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Following this, she became a cohost on the news entertainment series "PM Magazine" on Beaumont, Texas's KFDM-TV. In 1983, Gibbons moved to New York City and joined WCBS-TV. There, she began cohosting "Two on the Town" alongside Robb Weller.
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"Entertainment Tonight" and "Leeza"
In 1984, Gibbons and her "Two on the Town" cohost Robb Weller joined the CBS newsmagazine program "Entertainment Tonight." Gibbons served as a reporter and co-anchor on the program's weekend edition for 26 years through 2000. During this time, in 1993, she began cohosting a syndicated daytime talk show on NBC. Originally called "John & Leeza from Hollywood," the show featured Gibbons alongside another of her former "Entertainment Tonight" cohosts, John Tesh. After seven months, Tesh left the program, and Gibbons became the sole host of the show, which was renamed "Leeza." On "Leeza," which ran until 2000, Gibbons discussed current events such as celebrity and true crime stories. Over the course of its run, the show racked up 27 Daytime Emmy Award nominations, and won three.
Other Hosting Gigs
Gibbons has hosted a myriad of other programs throughout her career. In the 90s, she hosted the radio countdown show "Blockbuster Top 25 Countdown with Leeza Gibbons," on which she counted down the hits on the Adult Contemporary and Hot Adult Contemporary charts. Later, in 2001, the countdown angle was dropped, and the show became an entertainment news program called "Leeza Gibbons' Hollywood Confidential." Also in 2001, Gibbons began hosting and serving as the managing editor of the show "Extra"; she remained in these roles through 2003. Later, from 2011 to 2014, she had one of her most successful hosting gigs on the PBS talk show "My Generation," which covered issues related to health, relationships, and money. For her hosting, Gibbons won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle/Travel Host in 2013.
Among her other hosting positions, Gibbons filled in for Meredith Vieira on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" for a week in June in 2008. She was later a cohost and executive producer of the newsmagazine show "America Now" from 2011 to 2015.
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"The Celebrity Apprentice"
Beyond her television hosting, Gibbons drew attention when she competed on the seventh season of the reality game show "The Celebrity Apprentice" in 2015. She ultimately won the show, beating out Geraldo Rivera to become the second female winner in the history of the series. Over the course of the show, Gibbons raised more than $700,000 for her charity Leeza's Care Connection.
Alzheimer's Advocacy
Gibbons has been heavily involved in advocating for health issues, particularly Alzheimer's disease, to which her mother succumbed in 2008. For her work in raising awareness of the illness, Gibbons earned the Public Leadership in Neurology Award from the American Academy of Neurology in 2005. Later, she was appointed by then-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the board overseeing the state's stem cell research agency. In 2009, following her mother's passing, Gibbons published her book "Take Your Oxygen First: Protecting Your Health and Happiness While Caring for a Loved One with Memory Loss." In the book, she offers practical advice to help families and caregivers tend to their emotional and psychical needs so they can be more responsive to the same needs of their ailing loved ones.
Business Ventures
On the business side of things, Gibbons has her own line of mineral makeup called Sheer Cover Studio. A partnership with the California-based marketing company Guthy-Renker, the line is sold around the world. In recognition of her sales, Gibbons was honored with the Icon Award from the Electronic Retailing Association in 2015.
Personal Life
Gibbons has been married and divorced multiple times. Her first marriage, to John Hicks, lasted from 1980 to 1982. Next, in 1989, she wed British actor Christopher Quinten, with whom she had a daughter named Jordan. The couple divorced in 1991. That year, Gibbons married her third husband, actor and architect Stephen Meadows. The pair had two sons named Nathan and Troy, and divorced in 2005. Later, in 2011, Gibbons wed New York Times-bestselling author Steven Fenton, the son of former mayor of Beverly Hills, California Frank Fenton.
Real Estate
In 2011 Leeza paid $1.199 million for a home in West Hollywood, California. She continues to own this home today. She has used it as a rental property since 2012. In recent years she has rented it for around $12,000 per month.
In March 2018, Leeza listed her Beverly Hills house for sale at $18.5 million. She sold the house in November 2018 for $15.5 million. Leeza and her producer husband Steve Henton purchased the house in 2014 for $7.95 million.
In August 2019 Leeza and Steve purchased a home in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles for $5.46 million.
