Sunday Conversation: Leeza Gibbons and Mark Steines

For more than three decades, fans of KTLA’s top-rated coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade have relied on the dynamic duo of hosts Stephanie Edwards and Bob Eubanks to describe the beauteous procession while bringing in the new year. This year’s broadcast will mark another fresh start — the introduction of a new team.

Former “Entertainment Tonight” hosts Leeza Gibbons and Mark Steines — who hosts Hallmark Channel’s “Home & Family” — will be taking over in the elevated broadcast booth. Edwards,73, and Eubanks, 78, who had worked together since 1982, made the decision to depart after the 2016 parade, saying they wanted to leave while the ratings were still dominant.

The partnership of Edwards and Eubanks was distinguished by a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the floats and participants. But it was their palpably upbeat — and sometimes prickly — chemistry that became their trademark.

Gibbons, 59, and Steines, 52, say they will bring their own brand of wit and knowledge to the coverage as they kick off what they hope will be a new tradition. The two met near the set of “Home & Family” earlier this month to talk about their preparation and their deep affection for their predecessors.

The big day is just around the corner. Are you having pre-parade jitters?

STEINES: I have a tremendous amount of excitement. There’s no sense of intimidation. (Points to Gibbons). I know that this woman who will be sitting next to me and guiding us through this two-hour, commercial-free show…

GIBBONS: … with no bathroom breaks.

STEINES: I will always have someone to lean on, that will laugh at my silly jokes, to help make us a smart and wonderful team.

GIBBONS:: I could not have a better co-host. Mark literally has my back. He’s a pro. I think we have a similar lens the way we see the world, and we’ll give our individual takes through that lens.

Bob and Stephanie had a very specific chemistry. How would you describe your chemistry?

STEINES: We’re not bickering. And there’s no way we would ever try to duplicate that.

GIBBONS: That was organic to Bob and Stephanie.

STEINES: We’ll find our chemistry

GIBBONS: I think it will be like a sibling thing for us.

STEINES: What we’ll bring is the knowledge, the gratitude of what this feels like to be doing this for the first time. If we can bring that excitement to the audience, down the road — and knock on wood, this lasts many many years — who knows? We may end up bickering.

GIBBONS: Well, in 35 years, I’m going to be so over you (Laughing)

STEINES: I don’t think it will take that long.

Have Bob and Stephanie given you any pointers?

STEINES: Bob said, seriously, limit your fluid intake, because you are up there trying to be focused. That sounds so ridiculous, but he’s telling me that for a reason.

GIBBONS: Bob told me that when we did a parade together. I was pregnant, which is really hard on your bladder. He would take a bottle of water, pour it in a bowl and start swishing it around with his hand. EVIL! (Laughs loudly)

STEINES: Which tells you, you don’t show up without your personality. Be there and don’t forget this is a parade. Have fun.

GIBBONS: Stephanie is a treasure. People over time have expressed such love for this woman who has been authentic during a span of three decades. I have such admiration for the two of them making a decision to walk away from something at the top of their games, appreciating the opportunity that they had and not looking in the rear-view mirror. They’re not worried about us.

What is the biggest challenge in getting ready?

GIBBONS: We want to have that first blush of newness, but we also need to temper that with being expert enough so that people can count on what we’re saying. One of the big challenges is the enormity of the information. No one has ever given us an option of phoning this in, in any capacity.

STEINES: With KTLA being the gold standard, we can’t come in and be mediocre. So there’s pressure within that — not that they’re coming hard. They are giving us ample time and a tremendous amount of resources so that we can be the best that we can be.

Is it like studying for a final exam?

GIBBONS: Cramming has been my strategy usually for final exams. I’m trying to avoid that for the parade. There have been thresholds throughout our preparation that we’ve had to meet, and that’s been helpful. When I went under the veil and got inside the culture of the Tournament of Roses and touring the Tournament House and meeting the Queen and her court, that’s when it kicked in for me.

And it’s all going to be on live TV.

STEINES: “Home & Family” shoots live to tape every day, so I already have that sense. What being live does is it elevates your game. If you know you have another shot at it, you can drift off. If it’s live, you’re laser-focused and hyper-aware that whatever happened in the moment just passed you. That moment is gone. Stay in the moment

GIBBONS: I hosted the Hollywood Christmas Parade with Bob Eubanks one year, and that was live. I asked for his advice and all he said, was, “I’m here for you, and you’re going to be great, Slick.” I think audiences are very forgiving when you make a mistake and they know where your heart is and what your intention is.

STEINES: Also if something happens, you better acknowledge it to the audience. You have to be real. You have to be honest.

What would you say is special about this year’s parade?

STEINES: This Rose Parade stands the test of time and reminds people that there is a new beginning. There is a new start. It always represented hope for me. No matter how bad my previous year was, I get another shot at another year

GIBBONS: This year’s theme, “Echoes of Success” is really important to us. To see floats with 60 people who have received organ donations, eye donations, tissue transplants is so inspiring. There will be a float that pays tribute to the victims and families of the Orlando nightclub shooting. What this parade is about for me is capturing those moments that are reflective of our resilience and our optimism. This is why we need this parade more than ever.

‘The 128th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade’

Where: KTLA

When: 8 a.m. Monday

Rating: TV-G (suitable for all ages)

greg.braxton@latimes.com

Twitter:@GeBraxton