Amid a series of unexplained absences from both The Today Show and Today With Hoda & Jenna, fans have been concerned about what’s happening with co-anchor Hoda Kotb. Her absence began last week and sparked a lot of worry for her fans.
NBC resorted to a handful of co-hosts to fill in for her, including Today 3rd Hour’s Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones, World News Tonight anchor Tom Llamas and Sunday Today’s Willie Geist. However, it wasn’t until March 1 that fans were given an update on her status.
During her absence, Kotb shared a number of cryptic posts on Instagram about bravery, blue skies, strong women and hope. She also continued to post about her daughters, Haley Joy and Hope Catherine.
She hasn’t appeared live on the broadcast since Presidents Day, though she was featured in a pre-taped episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna.
Kotb has been a familiar face on NBC since 1998, sharing both triumphant and difficult milestones with viewers. She and her former fiance, Joel Schiffman, share daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine.
When she announced her split from Schiffman earlier this year, she told her followers that she was “ready to move on” with her life. She’s since shared that she is looking forward to dating again after a breakup and says she hopes to get back in the game soon.