Elaine Stritch drops expletive on ‘Today’

Things tend to get pretty loose in the fourth hour of “Today,� but even co-hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb were shocked when guest Elaine Stritch dropped an F-bomb on the show Tuesday.

The celebrated 89-year-old actress, known for her work on Broadway and in numerous films and television series, including “30 Rock,� was making a visit to promote a new documentary about her life, “Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me.�

Clad in a fabulous matching fur coat and hat and oversized black-rimmed glasses, Stritch made herself comfortable from the get go, resting her famous legs on Gifford’s lap.

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“You are so beloved — of course for your work but as much for your mouth,� Gifford said. “You say whatever you want to say. When did all that happen?�

Stritch tried to respond by making a serious point about television censorship and naughty language, but it got lost once she let an F-bomb fly. “If you just say things naturally, it’s fine. You know, they just think in...�

Gifford gasped in shock, while Kotb reassured her the curse would be bleeped (on the East Coast broadcast, it was not). After taking a few seconds to regroup, the hosts soldiered on with the conversation.

“I think talking and telling the truth is a lot of fun,� Stritch said. We can tell.

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