Martin Short has responded to Kathie Lee Gifford's slip up in yesterday's Today Show. He told E! Online: "I think that it's live television and people make mistakes and there's no ill will intended." He continued: "And I think it's nice to aspire to be that way."

Comedian Short could have easily made Kathie Lee look more a fool than she already had, but he proves to be the gentleman that he is with his reply.

Kathie Lee Gifford conducted one of the weirdest interviews seen on TV when she started to question Martin Shortabout his wife - all the time not realizing that she had passed away two years ago from ovarian cancer.


The interview, which was broadcast live Wednesday morning, saw Gifford compliment Short on "one of the greatest marriages of anybody in show business". She then asked him what his secret was in the couple keeping their love alive.


Comic actor, Short, was in fact only on the show to speak about his new film Madagascar 3. So he was taken aback with the increasingly inappropriate questions, although he graciously didn't openly embarrass Gifford live on air - well she did that job herself!


During the interview Gifford asked Short, "You and Nancy have one of the greatest marriages of anybody in show business. How many years now for you guys?"


"We... have... married ... 36 years," Short answered - stumbling to find an appropriate answer to the question.


Gifford did not end there. She then said, "But you are still like, in love?"


Short answered more confidently: "Madly in love, madly in love."


Again, Gifford pushed her foot further into her mouth by asking: "Why?"


By this stage Short had more prepared himself, and joked, "Cute, I'm cute."


Shortly after the show went to a commercial break, and when they came back on air Gifford issued a clearly embarrassing apology: "My apologies to [Martin] and his family for not realizing."


She then explained how Short had filled her in during the commercial break.


Later on her Twitter she tweeted, "I send my sincerest apologies to @MartinShort and his family. He handled situation w/enormous grace and kindness and I'm so grateful."

Tags: martin short kathie lee gifford