During Friday’s episode of the TODAY Show, Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin shared some exciting news – a familiar face will be returning to Studio 1A next week. That familiar face is none other than Hoda Kotb, who has been away from the show since January. However, Hoda’s return won’t be permanent – she’ll be back on screen for a special assignment. "We have some good news to share. Hoda will be joining us next week, and she’s gonna share a really heartwarming story," Savannah announced during the morning show broadcast.
Craig then shared the details behind the reason for Hoda’s return to TODAY. "She’s gonna introduce us to a remarkable phys ed teacher from right here in New York, going the extra mile for his elementary school," he explained. "In fact, Hoda is actually going to bring him with her, along with some of his students, for quite the unforgettable gym class just out on the Plaza."
The NBC co-stars couldn’t resist making a cheeky joke about how Hoda just can’t seem to stay away from the show despite her emotional farewell. "Should we all just make the joke we always make? Longest vacation ever," said Savannah. "It’s coming to an end. We’ll see Hoda next week." The news anchor also revealed that she was "looking forward" to sharing the screen again with her former co-host.
However, this won’t be the first time Hoda has made a cameo on the show since her departure. The star visited the studio back in May and addressed the speculation that she would be taking over The Kelly Clarkson Show. "Do you think that if I ever came back to TV… do you know the only place I would ever come back is? Right here, this is the spot. There’s no place like home," she said.
Back in January, Hoda said she was ready for a new chapter after nearly 30 years with NBC and told her co-hosts: "I just turned 60, and it was such a monumental moment for me when I turned 60 years old because I started thinking about that decade, like, what does that decade mean? What does it hold? What's it gonna have for me?" she said on-air.
"I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking they deserve a bigger piece of my time, the pie that I have," she added. "I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world."