TODAY’S Hoda Kotb has revealed a significant career move she planned to make before she went down a different path.
The news anchor opened up about her old plans on Thursday’s installment of the Just B podcast with Bethenny Frankel.
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Hoda Kotb revealed the major career move she planned to make before welcoming her two daughtersCredit: Getty
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Hoda is a mom to two daughters, Haley and HopeCredit: Instagram/Hoda Kotb
During the episode, Hoda talked about how her life has changed since adopting her two daughters, Haley, six, and Hope, three.
After the 58-year-old admitted she didn’t think it was “possible” to become a mother at that point in her life, she reminisced over how different her life could’ve been if she didn’t.
“I always said I wanted to be a teacher, but I think I really wanted to be a teacher because I wanted kids,” the Today host confessed.
She then revealed that she had initially planned to leave her role at NBC to become a school teacher.
“I always said that when I’m done at NBC, I’m going to go be a teacher. And then one day I was like, I think being a teacher is amazing, but I think there was a need to do that because I couldn’t get close enough,” the TV personality explained.
Before landing her co-hosting gig on Today alongside Savannah Guthrie, 51, in January 2018, Hoda hosted the fourth hour of the morning program with her former co-host, Kathie Lee Gifford, 69.
The duo had co-hosted the program since 2007, and Hoda had also been a Dateline NBC correspondent since 1998.
But after host Matt Lauer was fired from the show following a MeToo scandal, NBC executives proudly called Hoda to fill the spot.
The disgraced host – who had been an anchor on Today since 1997 – was booted due to many complaints of “inappropriate sexual behaviors in the workplace.”
ADOPTION PLANS
At the time of Hoda’s promotion, she was engaged to her now ex, Joel Schiffman, 65, and a mother to her oldest daughter, Haley, whom they had adopted one year earlier.
Hoda shared with USA Today about the experience: “She changed my whole life, really. She started it. I feel like my life started again.
“I can’t even imagine what it was like before her. I feel like everything began again.
“If I lost everything in my life today…but I had her, I’d be so fine.
“She will be loved unconditionally for her whole life by me.”
Hoda and Joel adopted their youngest, Hope, in 2019 and were already considering adding a third to their family shortly after.
They filled out the paperwork in October 2020, although the TV star said the Covid-19 pandemic slowed the process considerably.
When Hoda told PEOPLE they had decided to adopt again, she said, “(We) have had many conversations about it. Can we? Yes.
“Will our family be better with it? Yes. Do we have enough love in the house? Yes.
“All the answers seem to say yes. So I think then you just wait and see if it’s meant to be.”
‘JUST GOING TO BE’
In July 2021, she went into further detail during a sitdown on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and said the agency told her and Joel there weren’t as many children up for adoption.
“They said that a lot of people who maybe normally would feel like it would be something they’d want to do — have a child and give it to someone to raise because they couldn’t — are holding on to things because they don’t have anything at that moment. That’s what I’ve heard from our agency,” the podcast host disclosed.
“You know what’s funny about the adoption stuff that’s going on now, apparently it’s really slow during this time, during Covid.
“I thought it would be a different game. Everything’s slow, but they say wait wisely and just be, so we’re just going to be.”
After eight years together, Hoda and Joel split in January 2022 and are now co-parents to their girls.
Earlier this year, they went through a scary medical crisis with Hope that landed the little girl in the ICU.
Hoda spent time away from work to care for her daughter before returning to the show in April.
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Hoda landed the hosting gig on Today alongside Savannah Guthrie in January 2018Credit: Getty
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She adopted her daughter Haley one year earlierCredit: Getty
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Hoda was previously hosting the third hour of Today with her former co-host, Kathie Lee Gifford