Where Is Hoda Kotb? Fans Concerned About 'Today' Anchor This Week
Today show viewers are concerned about Hoda Kotb. The long-time co-anchor of the NBC morning show has been absent for the past week, with guest hosts stepping in to fill her shoes, leaving many Today with Hoda & Jenna viewers asking, "Where is Hoda Kotb?"
Kotb's absence on the daily morning show began on Monday, when Kotb's co-host Jenna Bush Hager was joined by guest host comedian and actress Michelle Buteau. On Tuesday, weekend Today co-host Willi Geist took Kotb's seat alongside Hager, with Kotb's absence later being filled by E! Daily Pop co-host and Today contributor Justin Sylvester. As of this posting, Kotb still hasn't appeared on Today's fourth hour, with her last appearance on the show having been the Friday, Dec. 3 episode when she and Hager caught up with West Side Story actress Rita Moreno and received a FaceTime call from singer Walker Hayes.
Kotb's absence has sparked plenty of worry among Today viewers, who have taken to the NBC show's social media posts, as well as the posts from the show's co-hosts, to ask where Kotb is. Replying to a Monday post from the Today with Hoda & Jenna Instagram account highlighting Buteau's time as co-host, one person asked, "what happen to hoda," with somebody else commenting that they "miss Hoda." On one of Kotb's more recent posts, somebody asked, "where've you been??? We miss you and hope you are well," with another person adding, "missing my daily dose of you! I know plenty of people are checking on you [Hoda Kotb]. You got this, all this! Whatever this is."
Neither the Today show nor Kotb had publicly addressed her extended absence. Hager did mention Tuesday that Kotb was "off," though she did not offer further explanation. Kotb, meanwhile, hasn't posted anything to social media since the weekend, when she shared a quote to Instagram reading, "cherish the people who check up on you." She shared the quote with the caption, "happy weekend xoxox."
It seems likely that Kotb's absence is due to the Today co-anchor taking some much-deserved time away to spend with her family. She shares daughters Hope Catherine and Haley Joy, whom she adopted in 2017 and 2019, with fiancée Joel Schiffman. Hello! suggested that Today viewers can likely expect to see Kotb back in action sometime soon as the NBC crew begin their holiday festivities.