Hoda Kotb has spoken out about her potential Today replacement for the first time. While the longtime host didn’t name names, she did detail exactly what she’s looking for in the person who steps into her big morning show shoes.
“The person who I want is someone who has beautiful chemistry with Jenna [Bush Hager],” Hoda told E! News on Friday (October 25) at her Making Space wellness event in Austin, Texas. “That’s all I want. Because it’s never about either anchor, it’s about what’s between. So bring the chemistry.”
Kotb went on to make clear that what’s most important to her is that her replacement has a fun rapport with her fourth-hour co-host, Jenna Bush Hager, with whom she co-anchors Today With Hoda & Jenna, even if they’re not buddy-buddy off-screen.
“I don’t care if it’s her best friend, I don’t care if it’s someone she’s worked with, if it’s some celeb,” the 60-year-old continued, “When she gets in sync, that’s it. If she has chemistry, it will be beautiful.”
While Kotb admitted she doesn’t have a strong sway in the succession process for her NBC morning news shows, she’s already encouraged her co-anchor Bush Hager to share her thoughts in the casting process.
“I said Jenna, ‘Feel who you want. Feel what feels right for you,’” she recalled. “She’ll know, because the only way it’s going to work is if they got a vibe or not. Just the fun party vibe. It can’t be forced.”
Finally, Kotb shared a hilarious and humbling message for her yet-to-be-named successor on her leading program: she’ll inevitably be second-fiddle to her Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
“Look, you get to sit next to Savannah Guthrie,” she noted, “here’s what you’re going to do: You’re going to ride sidecar and say ‘thank you very much,’ OK?”
Related‘Today’: Hoda Kotb Officially Announces What She’ll Do Next
In a memo to staffers last month, Kotb announced she would leave The Today Show in early 2025 to focus on her family. Her replacement at the anchor desk is unannounced.
“I’ve been weighing this decision for quite a while – Am I truly ready? But, my sixtieth birthday celebration on the Plaza felt like a shift. Like a massive, joyful YES, you are!” read the memo. “I saw it all so clearly: my broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie.” She also teared up while reflecting on the decision during an episode of Today that month.
Kotb is mother to two daughters, Haley Joy, 7 and Hope Catherine, 4, both of whom she adopted. The NBC star recently announced her next career move will be in the wellness space.
So far, the network has kept mum about the selection process, but the fast-rising Laura Jarrett of Saturday Today has emerged as a “big contender” according to an NBC Insider. Plus, as of Monday, October 28, Jarrett is the only person to have filled in on both Today and Today With Hoda & Jenna. Kotb did not mention Jarrett in her new comments but praised her as “excellent!” when she filled in for Bush Hegar on Monday.
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