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. When she’s not busy interviewing celebrities, demonstrating her kitchen prowess with guest chefs, or clowning with co-host Billy Bush, Access Hollywood’s Kit Hoover is a devoted pet parent and animal lover. In fact, she and her husband and children have four rescue animals: cats Prince Harry and Button, Pickles the bunny, and Dr. Disco Bubbles the guinea pig—and Hoover pines for a rescue dog!
In this interview, I had the chance to ask her about her experience on Access Hollywood Live, her love for animals, and an exciting new project she’s involved in with the ASPCA and We-Care.com, the online shopping portal that raises funds for nonprofit organizations.
If you watch Kit on TV, you can see that she is genuine, outgoing, and really, really funny! It was a great pleasure getting to speak with her and learn all about her love of animals and working on Access Hollywood.
Kit on working with Billy Bush on Access Hollywood: 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.
On Julia Roberts being her favorite guest on Access Hollywood: 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.
Kit talks about having pets on the show: 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.
Kit talks about her pets, and how much she and her children love animals: 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.
Pets are so important. They teach kids so much.
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.
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.
Kit on partnering with the ASPCA and We-Care.com: 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 We-Care.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 We-Care.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!
Blogger questions
Keri Lynn, from Idaho asked, Animal rescue can be a sad topic, the more you know, the sadder it is. How do you deal with that?
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.
I love what you’re doing with We-Care.com because when people see it, they’ll have a way to help.
It’s so true, it’s 100% true. I think social media is so great on that level, because my kids see it. We-Care.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.
Dianna, from Maryland asked, 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?
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.]
Marcie, from California asked a quick-fire series of questions.
What is your favorite zoo?
Atlanta
Favorite animal movie?
Marley and Me.
Favorite celebrity animal?
Grumpy Cat is a good one…. oh! Lassie! Lassie was my show!
Which animal would you like to have on Access Hollywood Live?
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.
*Kit is currently featured on a special We-Care/ASPCA page at https://aspca.we-care.com/kithoover. 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.
Dianna Ranere