Betty White picked up a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmy Awards

She said: "I had no idea that I would still be alive at this point for one thing, but I'd still be privileged enough to still be in this business."

"Oh, my goodness, I cannot tell you what this means.

"So much thanks to you and your mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers,' she said as the audience giggled along... And a couple of great-grandfathers when I was younger."

Elsewhere at the ceremony - which was hosted by Tyra Banks - 'The Young and the Restless' and 'Days of our Lives' tied for the coveted Outstanding Drama Series prize, while 'General Hospital' picked up the event's two biggest acting prizes, with Anthony Geary and Maura West picking up the Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress trophies.

The ceremony, which was held at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, Los Angeles, also featured a tribute to late 'Fashion Police' host Joan Rivers, who died last September, from her daughter Melissa.

The 47-year-old producer spoke of how the "daytime television community" had "saved" her mother and resulted in her only Emmy award, in 1990, for 'The Joan Rivers Show', which came after the cancellation of her late night talk show and suicide of her husband Edgar Rosenberg.

She added: "This strong foundation reinvigorated her career and my mother felt loved and valued by the daytime community and for that, I will always be grateful."

The evening proved to be an expensive one for Matt Lauer because, during an opening sketch where he and Ellen DeGeneres pledged to end their prank war, he promised to donate $1,000 to charity everytime he was thanked in a winner's acceptance speech.

He was subsequently namechecked many times throughout the ceremony, with Nancy O'Dell thanking him three times as 'Entertainment Tonight' picked up the Outstanding Entertainment News Programme prize.




Daytime Emmy Awards 2015 selected list of winners:




Outstanding Drama Series:

'Days of Our Lives' and 'The Young and the Restless'




Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:

Anthony Geary, 'General Hospital'




Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series:

Maura West, 'General Hospital'




Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:

Chad Duell, 'General Hospital'




Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:

Amelia Heinle, 'The Young and the Restless'




Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series: Freddie Smith, 'Days of Our Lives'




Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series:

Hunter King, 'The Young and the Restless'




Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series:

Donna Mills, 'General Hospital'; Fred Willard, 'The Bold and the Beautiful'; Ray Wise, 'The Young and the Restless'




Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team:

'The Bold and the Beautiful'




Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team:

'The Bold and the Beautiful'




Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show:

'The Ellen DeGeneres Show'




Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host:

Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan, 'Live! With Kelly & Michael'




Outstanding Informative Talk Show:

Steve Harvey




Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host:

Mario Batali, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz and Michael Symon, 'The Chew'




Outstanding Entertainment News Program: 'Entertainment Tonight'




Outstanding Culinary Program: 'Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics'




Outstanding Game Show: 'Jeopardy!'




Outstanding Game Show Host: Craig Ferguson, 'Celebrity Name Game'




Outstanding Morning Program: 'CBS Sunday Morning'




Outstanding Morning Program in Spanish: 'Un Nuevo Día'




Lifetime Achievement Award: Betty White