Leeza Gibbons Reflects on Covering September 11 Aftermath: 'We Were Holding Our Breath Collectively’

September 11 marks the 25th anniversary of the dark day that changed the world forever.

That Tuesday began like a normal day in the “Extra” newsroom, but when the story broke, the team snapped into breaking news mode.  

Leeza Gibbons was hosting the show from L.A. as New York City — and the world — changed forever.

“Extra’s” Derek Hough spoke to Leeza about the tragedy, which took the lives of at least 2,977 victims.

Things changed overnight. She shared, “There was life on the night of the 10th when we went to bed thinking we knew what America was about and then there was the morning of 9/11 and everyone understands there was a line of demarcation.”

Looking back on that pivotal moment in American history, Gibbons said, “We lived in a bubble and that was evidence that the bubble had burst. It also conjures up real feelings of pride.”

The atmosphere immediately shifted after the news broke that two planes had crashed into the Twin Towers.

Leeza recalled, “Our team just went into action as humans, as fellow citizens. I mean, Barry Nolan’s there in the middle of an eerie city… The skies went quiet for days after 9/11. We were holding our breath collectively. There was just an unmatched feeling of ‘We were frightened, we were grieving, but we were deeply connected.’”

“Extra” was there every step of the way. 

“‘Extra’ had crews all over this story,” Leeza noted. 

Along with covering the story, the “Extra” crew also sprang into rescue mode.

Leeza commented, “It was a serendipitous event that a boat that had been chartered for the best coverage for pictures to get the angles ended up rescuing people who were fleeing that horrific scene.”

“No one could have anticipated how this day was going to unfold,” Leeza emphasized.