The fans of NBC’s Today show were met with surprise and concern when Hoda Kotb, the much-loved anchor, was notably absent from Wednesday’s episode.
Jenna Bush Hager, her co-host, informed the viewers that Hoda was feeling unwell and thus, was taking a sick leave.
In place of the 59-year-old anchor, correspondent Sheinelle Jones, 45, who is well-regarded in the broadcasting community, seamlessly stepped in to co-host the show with Jenna.
Hoda's absence was promptly addressed, assuring viewers of her return, though no specific return date was shared.
Jenna, 41, warmly introduced Sheinelle, expressing her happiness at having her on the show, and conveyed, “Hoda is feeling a little under the weather, but she will be back.”
Sheinelle added her concern, noting she had sensed Hoda’s creeping sickness the day before and wished her a speedy recovery, saying, “Feel better, Hoda.”
Jenna humorously pointed out to the viewers that Hoda likely wouldn’t be watching the show from her sickbed, assuring them, “She ain’t watching. I can promise you that.”
The fans, missing Hoda’s presence, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to send their well-wishes and messages of concern. A myriad of messages floated in, with viewers expressing sentiments like, “I hope @hodakotb is chilling today, and feeling better,” and “I miss @hodakotb when she’s not on.”
Hoda’s journey with NBC’s Today show started in 1998 when she joined as a correspondent for Dateline NBC. She had been the co-host of the fourth hour with Kathie Lee Gifford from 2008 to 2019, before Jenna joined her as the current co-star.
Hoda’s unexpected absence from the screen is not a singular event; seven months prior, she had abruptly vanished, causing ripples of concern among viewers. It was later revealed that her four-year-old daughter, Hope, had been facing a serious health issue, leading to her hospitalization.
The hospitalization involved an intense period of over a week in a New York City hospital’s intensive care unit in late February.
The specific details of Hope's condition have remained private, but Hoda shared periodic updates about her daughter's progress and condition, thankfully revealing that Hope was “on the mend.”
Following Hope’s recovery, it seems like life has been resuming its usual rhythm for Hoda and her family, with her daughters, Hope and Haley, six, going back to school. Hoda even took a brief hiatus from filming to personally drop her daughters off for their first day of school.
However, regarding her own current illness, Hoda has been relatively private, choosing not to share any specifics about her condition. Up until her unexpected absence, she had been actively participating in the filming of the episodes throughout the week.