Letterman says sorry to wife on TV over affairs

Published on Tuesday 6 October 2009 22:23

DAVID Letterman apologised to his wife on the Late Show, saying she had been "horribly hurt by my behaviour."

The late-night US talk show host vowed to repair his relationship with Regina Lasko.

"Let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me," he said, according to an early transcript of the programme released by CBS.

The show was the first Letterman had taped since Thursday, when he disclosed that he had had sexual relationships with women who worked for him and said that he had been the victim of a $2 million blackmail threat.

During the hour, he also apologised to his staff. "Inadvertently, I just wasn't thinking ahead," Letterman said.

"My thanks to the staff for, once again, putting up with something stupid I've gotten myself involved in."

He arrived on stage to applause and cheers from his studio audience.

In a sombre display, Letterman voiced his mea culpas. Regarding his wife, he said: "If you hurt a person and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it."

As Letterman faced the broadcast, and the programmes that will come after, it was clear that how he deals with his messy situation could prove to be a defining chapter in his long TV career.

While Letterman has joked about his affairs with female staffers, it is unclear how many women he had sex with, and he has offered no specifics.

But one of his affairs was with Stephanie Birkitt, who was an assistant to Letterman and frequently appeared on camera with the host in comedy slots.