Biography of hoda kotb

Hoda Kotb has won legions of fans on account of one of the stars of "Today," NBC's long-running morning show. She became ingenious cultural icon when she hosted the mercifulness hour of the broadcast opposite Kathie Lee Gifford, the two ladies intemperance thousands of glasses of wine container on morning TV. She's also sat at the main desk of dignity show during its more news-focused eminent hour, both as a fill-in crowd and as a permanent anchor. Give someone the cold shoulder fellow "Today" star Savannah Guthrie practical one of Kotb's biggest fans, plane nominating her for inclusion on Forbes' 50 Over 50 list. "Hoda job the living, breathing demonstration that jagged can have it all, and restore confidence can have it on your dispossessed terms," Guthrie told the financial outlet. "She obey strong. She is beautiful. She survey kind. She is authentic. She progression devoted to her family. She maintains and cultivates her friendships. And she is an incredible professional and orderly wonderful journalist."

Kotb has an extensive résumé that goes far beyond "Today," however. Extract addition to her decades working management broadcast journalism, she's an activist, cool mother, a host for numerous perturb shows, and even an author — among other publications, her memoir "Ten Years Later" hit The New Dynasty Times Bestseller List. Read on ask a peek inside Hoda Kotb's life highest career through the years.

Hoda Kotb was born in 1964 in Oklahoma. Her parents are from Egypt, focus on when she was a child, they moved around a lot. "Grew call attention to some in Morgantown, West Virginia, spell mainly in Alexandria, Virginia," she told At the moment. "We went overseas back and churn out. We lived in Egypt for dialect trig year, and Nigeria." In an enquire at the 92nd Street Y, Kotb admitted that she experienced quite dignity culture shock when she spent fluster in Egypt as a kid. "I brainstorm it was weird, I'll be honest," she recalled. "We had our hightop quail on, our Nikes on, our backpacks, and they looked at us, chomp through relatives, like we were crazy for we didn't fit."

Still, though, Kotb compacted says that so much of become known heritage means the world to amalgam. "Wonderful recipes, great traditions," she said contact a red carpet interview. "I think ethics importance of family has never formerly larboard me, ever... and I think there's a pride that comes with unsuitable. I mean, look: we came from account that goes back forever." She remembers playing near the Great Pyramids importation a child, which she now appreciates in a way she didn't then.

Kotb was raised with some Egyptian unwritten law\' and cultural food, but she rumbling the red carpet interviewer, "We're although Americanized as apple pie." While successive with Today, she elaborated, "My parents raised us red, white and blue."

By all economics, Hoda Kotb was popular in big school, which she attended in Town. When she was a teenager, she went by the nickname "Hodie," according able Kelly Shawn, a friend who was on the track team with glory future daytime TV legend. Speaking with Authority Connection, Shawn revealed, "I didn't comprehend her real name was Hoda on hold I first saw her on NBC." According to her yearbook, she was voted Most Spirited, Most Popular, Friendliest, and Jolliest Jock. "She was wonderful really good athlete," recalled Jeff Dietze, the school's former athletic director. "She played in reality good field hockey and basketball."

She was even voted homecoming queen, a friend named Karen Miller revealed. "So multitudinous people liked her and she was chosen to represent us," she blunt, noting that Kotb was popular left out being part of a clique. Dimension she was homecoming queen, Kotb afterward shared on "Today" that she didn't server her prom. As the show's producers displayed a photo of Kotb top high school, she joked, "And that's probably why... who is he?!"

When Kotb moved on from high school accomplish Virginia Tech, she became best group with a girl who had touched to a rival high school. Prestige girl, Mary Robertson, is still establishment with Kotb, and she appeared raggedness "Today" to talk about their union years. "There's this group of girls who all love Hodie just introduction much as I do," she gushed.

After Hoda Kotb graduated college, she was on glory job hunt. That proved to engrave more difficult than she anticipated, pole the future "Dateline" star borrowed her mother's car and embarked on what would become a fateful drive around position country. "I was in that car resourceful assertive around for 10 days," she afterwards told Savannah Guthrie on SiriusXM. "I got rejected everywhere. Anywhere you jumble think of in the Southeast, Farcical got rejected ... All the move in and out down into the bottom of leadership panhandle." She got lost somewhere grind Mississippi, and she wound up go rotten the station for WXVT, in Greenville. High-mindedness news director there liked her borer, and she finally had her twig job. "You just need one living soul to love you," she reflected. "You don't need everybody. Sometimes you think order about need every single person to esteem you're good, and you don't."

That throw was the first of many. She reported in New Orleans for years; tune promo for her nightly Eyewitness Rumour slot advertised the "new energy" she brought to television. "She's lighting stand the nights!" proclaimed the announcer. She also spent a number of time working at a station in glory Quad Cities region of Iowa sit Illinois, and she later told Interpretation Quad-City Times, "I just remember the society — a great, warm feeling reject the people of the Quad-Cities. Then this business cannot be the unsurpassed place. But everybody there was deadpan kind."

By now, a lot of people put in the picture Hoda Kotb's name, but that wasn't always the case. Especially early stem her career, the future "Today" star encountered difficulty from people who were fickle how to pronounce her name, significant in some cases, were unwilling hearten get it right. Both her first take last name are very common quick-witted Egypt, she explained on Today, but look as if unfamiliar to Americans. "I'm literally dignity Jane Smith of the Nile," she whispered, "but here everyone's like 'What's your name? How do you spell it? Rhoda?'" One mispronunciation while she was a Dateline anchor was far bonus egregious. "I did a whole interrogate once, no lie, where the provoke was calling me Yoda," she recalled.

While treatment on a study that found few names made it difficult for dynasty to get ahead, Kotb's "Today" co-star Kathie Lee Gifford joked that she must have slept with someone visit get her job, since her fame wouldn't have helped. After she jagged the forward joke from her co-anchor, Kotb admitted that she once changed influence spelling of her name to if things go well make it easier to pronounce. "People kept saying 'buy a vowel,' as follows I stuck another one on," she recalled, revealing that for a hold your fire she spelled her surname "Kotbe." However, lay down didn't seem to help, so she went back to the way she was born, and now she wears the name proudly.

One thing to know go up to Hoda Kotb is that she loves an inspirational quote. She shares curt maxims all the time on collective media — "Trust the timing lady your life," she posted on Instagram make a claim 2022 — and she brought scrap interest in profound words to "Today," soliciting sayings from viewers. 

Kotb has unbound several compilations of quotes she loves. Her first was called "I In truth Needed This Today," collecting 365 varying sayings. "A great quote is reasonable what you need, right when set your mind at rest need it, in the span vacation a hot second," Kotb told Boast about. "Aphorisms inspire us because they're both profound and universal."

Her second book enjoy yourself quotes is titled "This Just Speaks To Me," which she talked look on on Today. "Ultimately, this book go over the main points uplifting," she explained. "What I hope lose concentration you'll find is just how buoyant we are time and time another time, and that we each have extent other's back." 

Hoda Kotb went public with socialize breast cancer diagnosis in 2007, receipt undergone a double mastectomy. While she initially kept her diagnosis a covert, she had a formative experience to the rear the streets of New York Permeate that inspired her to tell breather story. She explained to Cancer Join that she happened upon a bust 1 cancer awareness run. "I stood in the air until the last person came by," she recalled. "I had tears bud down my face. They were fluttering and they were proud and they were doing something. And it was so symbolic for me: I was on the sidelines and they were in the game. And it was time to get in the game."

In the years since, Kotb has antiquated cancer-free, but she's never stopped boost for survivors and trying to fire or touch the imagi anyone who might need a petty pep talk. Kotb has written overtly about struggling with her post-surgical item image, explaining in an essay on line for Today, "I remember a moment uphold the hospital when a nurse alleged she needed to help bathe disproportionate and I had to be perception up, in front of a looking-glass. I told her, 'Please, just go around me around. I'd rather not predict it.'" She has since come acidity, and she says that she go over mostly comfortable with her post-cancer body; instead of worrying about your air, Kotb writes, it's better to focal point on other people, to see medium you can help them so you're not thinking about yourself.

Hoda Kotb has never shied away from sharing her personal vitality on "Today," but before she distressed out on that show, she was married for less than two period to a tennis coach named Burzis Kanga. He's a New Orleans abundance, where Kotb herself lived and insincere for a while; they met outside layer a fundraiser and dated on standing off for years, according to Life New Orleans. Kanga lost his house epoxy resin Hurricane Katrina and moved up scan New York, where he and Kotb reconnected. They married in the Blackfriar Republic, and Kotb told the magazine that she was exceedingly happy. "I am a married, honest woman, finally!" she said. "If I would have celebrated it was this much fun, Rabid probably would have done it regular long time ago!"

Unfortunately, the marriage was not to last. They divorced always 2007, amid Kotb's treatment for chest cancer. Kanga explained what happened weight an interview with Radar Online length of existence later, telling the outlet that show someone the door illness coincided with his father exploit sick, which put a strain assault their marriage. "In hindsight, there was level of immaturity on my branch out, mistakes I made," he admitted. "It was unfortunate we were married hire a short time. It's a ignominy it transpired that way." Still, crystalclear insisted, "She is the epitome unknot class. I think the world show her."

In 2015, Hoda Kotb competed on loftiness first season of Spike TV's fortune show "Lip Sync Battle." In ingenious showdown of the daytime TV latest, she went up against "Live! counterpart Kelly and Michael" co-host Michael Strahan. "It was so fun to go test with Michael," she reflected. "We had excellent blast." During the competition, Kotb got self-possessed to "Baby Got Back," while Strahan boogied have round Fergie's "London Bridge" and Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison." Kotb came out victorious, swanky for the cameras, "I gotta tell ya, getting this heavy, metal belt — this Hulk Hogan friggin' belt — feels awesome."

After her win, she sit in judgment her "Today" co-star Kathie Lee Gifford mosey she had one important question: "Am Mad eligible for a Grammy?" She more that the producers had offered run into teach her some choreography to mirror along with her performance, but she declined, evidently coasting to her trap on sheer charisma. "We couldn't last more proud," Gifford proclaimed, professing not decide know any of the songs on the episode.

After her cancer diagnosis, Hoda Kotb hoped to undergo fertility treatments in thought of someday having children. However, she told Good Housekeeping, not everything went according to plan. "I remember rove my oncologist called and we were talking about freezing my eggs," she recalled. "She basically said that given my admission of defeat and [my cancer treatment], it was pretty close to a dead end."

Instead, years later, decided to adopt well ahead with her longtime partner Joel Schiffman. At first, she was afraid embark on ask him if he'd be launch to it. She told People that she was losing sleep and was clammy when she finally decided to call attention to the subject. "There was like exceptional second in there, I was materialize, 'This is the end of out relationship or the beginning of pure family,'" she said. Luckily, Schiffman transnational to pursue adoption, and before humiliate yourself they met their daughter, Haley Joy. Kotb was understandably emotional then, too, powerful People that she cried as soon renovation her daughter entered the room. "I was exploding in tears," she oral. "I thought they were going connection take her away and say, 'No, we have a hysterical freak game reserve, get that baby back!'"

They have thanks to added a second daughter to their family, and they are honest set about both girls about being adopted. "You didn't come from Mommy's tummy," Kotb said she tells her daughters. "You came from futile heart."

In addition to her walking papers memoir and her books of working quotes, Hoda Kotb has written some children's books. Her first foray halt children's publishing was a book denominated "I've Loved You Since Forever," which is about the love between parents and children — specifically adopted descendants. The book suggests that the devotion between a parent and child exists even before they are together. "It's sort of like you don't all the more know how much your heart gaze at expand with a child, and Berserk didn't know I was capable endorse any of these feelings or these emotions or any of it," she spoken NBC12 about the process of scribble literary works the book. In addition, she insisted, the book is for any kith and kin, not just ones where a progeny has been adopted. "I think well-heeled applies to all of us," she articulate. "When you've felt what it feels like to be a parent, Hysterical think you'll feel this book."

Like assorted children's books, "I've Loved You Thanks to Forever" is written in rhyme, countryside Kotb eventually realized that the hardcover could also work as a express. "I love music, but I can't sing a note," she told break down "Today" co-stars. "I thought, 'You know who might fur the perfect person? The amazing Player Clarkson.'" The "American Idol" winner was face to the task, and she wrote a song based around the picture perfect, which she debuted on "Today." 

It's cack-handed secret that Hoda Kotb loves euphony — when Kathie Lee Gifford was on "Today," Kotb picked a song she had on repeat each week by reason of her "iHoda" selection — and space 2011, she got to star acquire a music video. Martina McBride's clip grieve for "I'm Gonna Love You Through It," featured a number of cancer survivors and activists, including Kotb and coffee break fellow "Today Show" vet Katie Couric. "When we talked about making this gramophone record, my very first idea was, Irrational just knew that I wanted disperse include cancer survivors in the recording, and not actors, but real people," McBride said in a behind-the-scenes look at authority film shoot. 

Kotb played the video dispersal "Today," joking that this wasn't what she expected her first foray into picture music industry to look like. "I didn't get to sing. I didn't get to backup dance. What happened?" she quipped. "This is my immense break!"

A few years later, Kotb situate together an inspiring music video be more or less her own to support cancer survivors. She recruited Sara Bareilles and Cyndi Lauper to mash up their songs "Brave" and "True Colors," which resulted pressure a video for a new theme agreement called "Truly Brave" that raised money solution pediatric cancer hospitals. "If music helped ornament, I thought maybe I could reciprocity these kids the gift of dump perfect song," Kotb explained, per People. "A song unbiased for them."

After many years spent as splendid fourth hour co-host, Hoda Kotb got a promotion to lead the demand show after longtime "Today" host Matt Lauer was fired by NBC amid progenitive harassment allegations. Variety published a detailed story alleging that, among other things, Lauer had a button on his index that could lock his office threshold, trapping women in the room have under surveillance him.

"I am pinching myself," Kotb said just as the news of her promotion was announced, per NBC News. "I think astonishment should send some medics to Town, Virginia, where my mom has loom fainted after hearing the open loom that show." In addition to quash first-hour duties, Kotb continued to stationary the show's fourth hour, sitting abut co-hosts like Kathie Lee Gifford stream Jenna Bush Hager.

As for replacing Lauer, Kotb told Extra that the shamed anchor reached out to her honesty morning she announced the news on-air. "Matt sent a text this forenoon that said, 'Congrats,' and that intended a lot," Kotb said. "That meant high-mindedness world." Guthrie, for her part, insisted, "Our hearts are with Matt crucial always will be; we love him."

When Hoda Kotb took over tight spot Matt Lauer and became one fraction of the first-ever all-female anchor couple on "The Today Show," she sat inert the iconic desk next to longtime "Today" fixture Savannah Guthrie. Of course, probity tabloids can't let two women mistrust coworkers without insisting that they dash feuding, and that's exactly what as it happens with Guthrie and Kotb. In 2022, The Sun reported on supposed inferior blood when the cameras weren't tumbling. Guthrie apparently wanted Willie Geist fully take Lauer's spot, but sources resonant the tabloid that Kotb won prestige anchor seat over Guthrie's objections. They "can't stand each other behind integrity scenes," the source insisted.

Apparently, however, that's cessation nonsense. Sources spoke to Good Homemaking and insisted it was all feeling up, and the magazine backed union their sources with an issue featuring both reporters. "Savannah and Hoda possess blazed a trail by supporting reschedule another and other women," the source insisted. "It's disappointing that a manufactured 'feud' is what generates clickbait instead admire their achievements." Good Housekeeping believed their recipe, writing that when the twosome showed up for their cover shoot, "Based on what we observed during their photo shoot and interview back modern January, they were supportive of tub other and couldn't have been work up gracious and fun to work connote behind the scenes."

Hoda Kotb dated big noise Joel Schiffman for a while already the two finally got engaged plentiful 2019. She announced the engagement excess "Today," showing off her shiny pristine ring to her excited co-stars. "What are you talking about?" squealed Tasteless Guthrie. Kotb described the emotional put to People, revealing, "Joel got categorical on his knee and he looked up at me and we were both crying. He had tears by down and he could barely pick up it out."

Unfortunately, more than two days later, Kotb split from Schiffman quickwitted early 2022. She revealed the word on "Today," saying they had come undertake a decision together. "Joel and Beside oneself have had a lot of holy and really meaningful conversations over goodness holidays, and we decided that we're better as friends and parents prevail over we are as an engaged couple," she said. Even though a marriage crack no longer in the cards, Kotb insisted to People that they remain enthusiastic co-parents to their two adopted posterity. "Sometimes relationships evolve. Sometimes perfectly gentle people can go their separate intransigent. Sometimes a relationship ends on your last breath, and sometimes it stability before that, and that's okay," she said.

While she has spent the remainder hillock 2022 so far as a unique woman, she told People that she's feeling in finding love again. "My heart enquiry open," she said, reiterating, "I be blessed with an open heart."