Emmys 2018: Betty White Resurfaces for Surprise Appearance

Betty White shocked the audience at the 70th Primetime Emmys Monday night be making a surprise appearance and earning a standing ovation.

White was introduced by Saturday Night Live‘s Kate McKinnon and Alec Baldwin, who said the 96-year-old White is one of the few remaining actors working today who were alive for the first Emmy Awards. In fact, the Golden Girls star was nominated for Best Actress at the third Emmys in 1951.

During her brief speech, White thanked producer Lorne Michaels and thanked everyone in the crowd.

White was overwhelmed by the crowd’s reaction to her walking up to the podium, even bowing to the stars. “Thank you, I’m just going to quit while I’m ahead,” she joked as she turned towards the exit.

“Somebody said something the other day about the first lady of television and I took it as a big compliment,” White said. “And then I heard her talking to her daughter a little later, ‘Yeah, she’s that old. She was the first one way, way back!’”

Later, White said it was “incredible that I’m still in this business.”

The audience broke out in applause again, but White tried to stop them.

“No, I’m thanking you,” she said. “It’s incredible that you can stay in a career this long and still have people put up with you. I wish they did that at home.”

“I want to thank Lorne Michaels for doing this, but for all the wonderful things he’s done with me… no, for me,” White joked. “And all I can say is it’s such a blessed business to be in and how lucky can I be and how much I say, ‘Thank you’ to each and every one [of you].”

White was then led off the stage as the audience applauded one more time.

Audiences at home also loved seeing White, who many consider a national treasure.

“Can Betty White just live forever please?? Stay Golden,” one person wrote.

“We don’t deserve Betty White,” added another.

White is a four-time Emmy winner, taking home her most recent statue in 2010 for hosting a Saturday Night Live episode.

Photo credit: NBC