Meredith Louise Vieira (born December 30, 1953) is an Emmy Award-winning American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She currently co-hosts NBC's Today as well as continuing to host Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in syndication. She previously co-hosted ABC's daytime talk show The View (from 1997 to 2006), She also hosted Intimate Portrait, a series on Lifetime Television.
Is of Portuguese heritage.
Husband Richard M. Cohen (II) teaches journalism at Columbia University.
Has 3 older brothers.
Has three children with Richard M. Cohen (II) : Ben, Gabriel and Lily Max.
She has a fear of bridges.
Graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a degree in English (1975).
Scored 1330 on the SAT as a high school junior, and scored 1300 as a senior.
She is allergic to metal, and, therefore, doesn't wear her wedding ring.
Was once approached to pose in Playboy, she declined.
Lives in NY City suburb of Westchester County in a 2-story house built in 1929.
Husband, Richard M. Cohen (II), considered free of colon cancer after surgery in March, 2000. Has battled health problems over many years and is legally blind as a result of multiple sclerosis, which he contracted in his 20s.
Announced on-air during "View, The" (1997) show in May 2002 that she's decided to accept ABC's offer to host the syndicated "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (2002) weekly series, beginning in the fall, while she continues to co-host "View, The" (1997) for the next five years. Reportedly, her salary may jump from $500,000 a year to $5 million.
Has stated on "View, The" (1997) that because she wears pantyhose, she doesn't wear underwear. She thinks it would be redundant to wear both.
Hosted a special featurette of "Desperate Housewives" (2004) that will be featured on the series' Season 1 DVD box set, to be released in August, 2005.
In 2005, she became the second female to win a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host as host of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (2002). The first was Betty White (I) in 1983 for "Just Men!" (1983).
Older brother Edwin (Ed) Vieira, Jr. is a political activist that resides in Virginia.
When she was at CBS at the same time as Paula Zahn, they each had a husband named "Richard Cohen".
Announced that she will be the new co-host on "Today" (1952) [April 6, 2006].
Has been chosen by NBC to replace Katie Couric as the female anchor of "Today" (1952).
Parents names were Edwin Vieira, MD (b. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 15 May 1904, died Feb 1987), and Mary Elsie Rosa Vieira (daughter of ... Rosa and ... Silveria), both of Portuguese Azorian ancestry. Her paternal grandfather Antonio (Antone) C. Vieira (b. Faial, Azores, ca 1869) is said to have been a Catholic priest in Fall River, Massachusetts, who eloped with Maria Louise (L.) Costa (also b. Faial, Azores, ca 1879), one of his parishioners. They later married in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1896, had two children, Othilia P. (ca 1902) and Edwin (ca 1905), and he became a state lecturer at the Portuguese community of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
