Why Hoda Kotb Is Still Missing From ‘Today’ This Week
Hoda Kotb has extended her absence from the Today show, and for good reason.
The morning show host was absent from Today last week, only appearing in prerecorded installments of Today With Hoda and and Jenna. That absence has continued into the post-Labor Day week, except Sheinelle Jones appeared in Kotb’s place with Jenna Bush Hager on Tuesday, September 3. Kotb’s absence was explained by her co-anchors on Today on Tuesday, September 3.
“Hi everybody, good morning. Welcome to Today. So nice to have you with us on a Tuesday morning,” Savannah Guthrie said during Today‘s second hour. “Hoda is off. This is the first day of school for her girls, so she’s holding it down with them.”
“Happy Labor Day, summer is over. Don’t you just love a new school year?” Guthrie asked cohost Craig Melvin.
Kotb shares daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman. The NBC anchor shared a celebratory post with her daughters on her 60th birthday in August, showing her family soaking up the last weeks of summer. And now she’s dedicating some extra time to get the girls off to school. Based on her youngest daughter’s age, it could be Hope’s very first day of kindergarten today.
Much of the Today show team are also celebrating the start of the school year for their kids. Guthrie had a brief absence from the morning news program last week to carve out some final summer moments with her two kids, Vale, 10, and Charlie, 7, and prep for the return to school.
Vale and Charlie themselves made an appearance on Today on September 3, snapping a pic with NBA star Steph Curry (see below).
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Melvin has two kids the same age, Delano, 10, and daughter, Sybil, 7. He commemorated the new school year on Instagram last week as they began their 5th and 2nd grade years, respectively.
“And just like that. These two make me so happy and proud,” Melvin captioned his sweet photo. “Just wish it would all slow down.”
It’s not clear when Kotb will be back, but based on Guthrie’s brief announcement this morning, it seems she’ll return sooner rather than later.
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