Kit Hoover Interview: Access Hollywood, Animal Rescue, We-Care.com + More!
Kit Hoover: Access Hollywood Live Co-Host and Access Hollywood Correspondent
About Kit: She’s lively, hilarious, adorable, and does an amazing Justin Bieber impression. Kit Hoover, co-host of Access Hollywood Live and correspondent for Access Hollywood, is also passionate about rescue animals.
I am so thrilled that I had the opportunity to interview Kit last week as she shared some of her experiences from Access Hollywood Live. She also shared information about an exciting new project she’s involved in with the ASPCA and We-Care.com. We-Care.com is an online shopping portal that raises funds for nonprofit organizations. A perfect fit for those who love to shop online AND help animals in need!
The conversation was lively and entertaining and full of laughter. Here are a few of my favorite excerpts:
Q: You and co-host Billy Bush have such great chemistry working together on Access Hollywood, what’s the secret?
Kit: You know, what’s funny is that so many people want to know about the chemistry and it’s one of those things you can’t define, but when it’s right it’s just right. It was instant from the moment we met. Nobody makes me laugh harder. He probably gives me a full on belly laugh every day! We’re truly friends off the air too.
Q: That’s probably the secret, you’re friends.
Kit: Yeah. We go out with our [spouses] all the time. He loves hanging out with my husband, I love hanging out with his wife. We have fun together, we love to laugh. I have fun sitting beside him every day.
Q: Who has been your favorite guest to have on Access Hollywood and why?
Kit: It’s funny, doing this show it kind of all runs together (we’ve done over 1,000 episodes). What I love is when a well-known guest, or one that’s not as well known, comes to play, is authentic and fun, and wants to have a good time. Those are my favorites. I guess my favorite A-list star that we’ve had on is Julia Roberts. She was so nice to me, and fun and jokey and cool. We’re both from Atlanta. Her high school math teacher used to live across the street from me.
Q: You’re so gracious to your guests and ask unusual questions. Is that all informal, or do you practice?
Kit: Nothing is practiced. That’s how we get the good stuff, so there has to be a comfort level there when you’re on live TV. You go out each morning not sure what you’re going to get, then one thing will happen that will get us laughing and I feel like we’re off and running. It’s a natural high. I love it.
Q: That’s also a natural gift too, that’s not something all of us can do.
Kit: (Laughs) Thank goodness I found it; I’m not good at much else!
Q: Speaking of guests, I know you’ve had dogs and cats on the show for some Halloween segments, do you have dogs and cats on at any other time of year?
Kit: We usually do just those [Halloween segments], and all them are rescues. When we started off on the show we partnered with Best Friends Animal Society and we did a weekly pet adoption segment. What was great about that is that literally everyone on our staff kept adopting these animals. Everybody went away with a pet. It was really wonderful. Now that we’re syndicated as a national [show] we’re hoping to get back to some of those segments. Animals on the show are always a winning segment, and because you never know what they’re going to do, it makes for some hilarious moments.
Q: I know you have quite a few animals in your own home, can you tell us about those?
Kit: When we moved out here from Connecticut, we were told we couldn’t have a dog [where we lived] so we rescued two cats, a guinea pig and a bunny. They said “No dog.” They didn’t mention the others.
Q: Do your kids help with them?
Kit: I was emphatic about having animals for my children. My kids are 12, 11 and 7. Pets are so important. They teach kids so much. We had a rescue kitty named Daisy that died from leukemia and that was [my kids] first experience with loss. They cried so hard, but I think that’s an important part of life. With the bunny, they’re in charge of cleaning the cage, feeding the bunny and cleaning it. In school, all their creative stories are about the animals.
Q: You grew up with a lot of animals didn’t you?
Kit: My parents rescued German shepherds. We’d always house them until we found homes for them. We took pride in finding great homes for the ones we would bring in. I think that taught my brother and I a lot. My [parents] were big into animals. They were always rescuing them, or when someone would move they knew to come to the Hoovers first if an animal needed a home.
Q: You certainly are the perfect person for this ASPCA campaign.* Can you tell us a little about it?
Kit: I was so excited when they came to me. In this job, you get asked to be part of a lot of charities, and this one is really close to my heart. What is cool is they partnered with WeCare.com and I love this aspect: You can shop online and the proceeds go to ASPCA. It helps with rescue animals; it helps to protect animals from cruelty, any at risk animals. I love it. It is really an honor.
And anyone who logs onto to WeCare.com is entered to win to come out to California, see the show and hang with me. So you should all enter, that would be fun!
Q: Animal rescue can be a sad topic, the more you know, the sadder it is. How do you deal with that?
Kit: The animal cruelty is hard to look at, to read about, to know it’s out there. I hope through funding we can find a solution to all of that. Someone posted something about [animal cruelty] on Facebook and I couldn’t even watch it. My kids get so haunted by it, it’s so disturbing that there’s any of that out there.
Q: I love what you’re doing with WeCare.com because when people see it, they’ll have a way to help.
Kit: It’s so true, it’s 100% true. I think social media is so great on that level, because my kids see it. WeCare.com is a wonderful, positive way to help. And who doesn’t want to help? I think a lot of people want to help, but don’t know how.
Q: You said something about people always want to help, but don’t know how. What would be your words of advice for someone to get started helping animals, especially if they didn’t have much money?
Kit: If you don’t have a lot of money, and you want to help… rescue through organizations and through veterinary offices. Help find an animal a good home. I’m sure you can use social media and find local ways to help. There’s a lady in my town who started her own pet adoption service. If she finds a stray, she’ll take it in, get it well [and find a home for it.]
Q: What is your favorite zoo?
Kit: Atlanta
Q: Favorite animal movie?
Kit: Marley and Me.
Q: Favorite celebrity animal?
Kit: Grumpy Cat is a good one…. oh! Lassie! Lassie was my show!
Q: Which animal would you like to have on Access Hollywood Live?
Kit: I want a monkey on – a sweet, sweet monkey. I grew up watching Captain Kangaroo and he had this sweet monkey. I’d also love to get back to our animal adoption [segments]. I know they’re working on that, it would be great.
Do you love to shop online? Do you love animals? (YES to both!!)
Then make sure to join We-Care so that you can shop and the ASPCA will benefit! Kit Hoover is currently featured on a special We-Care/ASPCA website page that you can visit here. Every time shoppers make purchases from their favorite retailers via We-Care.com, a portion of their purchases will be donated to the ASPCA at no cost to the consumer. The We-Care/ASPCA page also features an opportunity to win a visit to the set of Access Hollywood Live, where the winner will meet Kit and view a taping of the TV show from behind the scenes.
Meet the author – Keri Lyn
The creative and frugal mind behind She Saved for over 12 years now, Keri Lyn shares her adventures in parenting along with her love for family travel, country living and brand marketing. A self-proclaimed “brand loyalist”, Keri Lyn is known for her strong and enthusiastic voice when it comes to the products and brands that she loves. She Saved has become a community for like-minded consumers who appreciate saving money, time and sanity by getting the best deals on quality products and experiences.
