The feud between Kathie Lee Gifford and Howard Stern explained

Kathie Lee Gifford revealed on Tuesday that her long-running feud with Howard Stern is over, with the two patching things up after the radio host sent her an apologetic voicemail.

How and when did the feud between Gifford and Stern start?

Gifford has many strings to her bow as a television host, singer, songwriter, actress and author. But not everybody appreciated her musical talents back in 1995, when she was chosen to sing the national anthem at Super Bowl XXIX, in which the San Francisco 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers in Miami.

Whether or not her performance was linked to her husband, former New York Giants player Frank Gifford, working as an NFL broadcaster is potentially up for debate, but the former “Today” host’s Super Bowl experience wasn’t a wholly positive one, partly because of Stern.

Gifford claims she heard booing as she sang at Joe Robbie Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) and later learned that Stern had told listeners of “The Howard Stern Show” to do so before the showpiece NFL game.

Following the incident, Stern, no stranger to instigating public feuds in his younger days, would frequently find an excuse to criticise Gifford, who had never listened to his show or retaliated, on air.

How did Gifford and Stern patch things up?

But things changed almost 20 years later in 2012, when Stern appeared on Gifford’s “Today” show to discuss being appointed as a judge on the seventh season of “America’s Got Talent”.

The two never appeared on screen together and Gifford revealed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that provisions were made to keep them apart, which she ignored.

“The Lord… said, ‘Kathie, go down and say hello to him, and wish him well with the show,’” Gifford explained. “And I said, ‘OK Lord.’ I got up out of my hair and makeup [room]. Those girls had been told, ‘Don’t let Kathie go anywhere near the studio.’ I couldn’t care less. I go downstairs. They go, ‘Where are you going?’ I said, ‘I’m going to go say hello to Howard.’”

“I said, ‘Hey, it’s Kathie Lee.’ I thought it was about time. I said, ‘I want to wish you all the best with the new show.’ I got up, went back, sat down in the makeup room. They’d said, ‘Why’d you do that?’ I said, ‘God told me to.’”

Stern’s apologetic voicemail to Gifford

Later that day, Gifford said she received a call with no caller ID, which she didn’t answer. And it turned out to be from Stern, who left an apologetical voicemail in his own, characteristic style.

“It was a lot of F-words, but he was saying, ‘I can’t believe how nice you were to me. I’ve been so rude to you and you were so nice. I just need to apologize to you. Please call me.’”

Although the call took some time coming, the pair did eventually speak over the phone, completely burying the hatchet.

“I said, ‘I’m really happy for you that you’re asking for forgiveness, because anytime we hurt somebody in life, it’s important to ask for forgiveness,’” Gifford said. “‘But I just want you to know that I forgave you 30 years ago.’ He goes, ‘What?’ I said, ‘I forgave you 30 years ago, and I’ve been praying for you every day since. And it’s the truth. He goes, ‘Oh my God.’ I said, ‘Would you like to come to dinner sometime?’ He goes, ‘You’d have me at your house?’ I said, ‘Of course.’”

While there is no evidence of said dinner taking place, Gifford explained the two had seen each other “a couple of times over at Sirius, and we were fine,” ending one of the longest-standing (and most one-sided) feuds in the entertainment industry.