In 1998, a 33-year-old reporter named Hoda Kotb joined the NBC family as a “Dateline” correspondent. Within 10 years, she would ascend to become one of the most recognizable faces on morning television as a member of the TODAY family.
Now, nearly three decades later, Hoda’s compelling interviews, in-depth reporting, integrity and indubitable charisma have led her to the top of the game, writing her name in the history books alongside contemporaries like Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer.
But, more than that, Hoda has secured a forever place in the hearts of millions of Americans who have welcomed her into their homes every morning like a trusted member of the family.
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An anchor, host, supporter, mentor, journalist, colleague, mother and a friend to all, Hoda has been TODAY’s self-proclaimed cheerleader, greeting viewers with her warm smile in good times and offering reassurance and encouragement amid the most difficult moments.
As Hoda prepares to close one chapter and begin the next, here’s a look back at some of her career highlights and memorable TODAY moments so far.
April 1998: Hoda joins the NBC family
Born in Oklahoma, Hoda attended college at Virginia Tech, receiving her degree in broadcast journalism. The rising star worked at several TV stations before bringing her skills to NBC in April 1998. Hired as a “Dateline” correspondent and reporter, Hoda covered Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and other high-profile events around the world, nabbing a 2006 Peabody Award and 2008 Alfred I. duPont Award along the way for her story “The Education of Ms. Groves.”
September 2007: Hoda kicks off the fourth hour
While Hoda was a regular on the TODAY news desk, she was officially offered a co-host slot on the show’s fourth hour and in September 2007 she began her new role. An hour set aside to informally talk about current affairs and other lighter fare, it marked a change from Hoda’s news-heavy background. “This new adventure was quite a challenge, from what to say to what to wear,” she writes in her memoir “Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee.”
October 2007: Hoda’s first TODAY Halloween
In October 2007, Hoda put on what would be her first TODAY show Halloween costume. However, it certainly wouldn’t be her last. For more than a decade, she’s rocked a variety of epic Halloween looks including Betty Rubble from “The Flintstones,” Garth from “Wayne’s World,” Sir Elton John, Blake Shelton and even a Cirque du Soleil dancer. This one, however, is the one that started them all: Hoda as Marilyn from “The Munsters.”
March 2008: Kathie Lee comes aboard
After making a few appearances on the show, it was announced in the spring of 2008 that former talk show host Kathie Lee Gifford would be joining Hoda as co-host on TODAY’s fourth hour. The pairing would prove to be momentous. “We were in awe of her ability to let it fly,” Hoda writes in her memoir. “She brought exactly what our hour needed.”
April 2008: Chelsea Handler brings the vodka
Hoda and Kathie Lee’s fourth hour went next level after comedian Chelsea Handler dropped by the show to promote her book “Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea.” Producers thought it would be inspired to serve cocktails in honor of Handler’s funny new memoir. What they didn’t know was that it would lead to a new tradition forever cementing Hoda and Kathie Lee’s legacy of day-drinking on live TV.
October 2009: Hoda is transformed into … Yoda
TODAY’s Halloween extravaganzas are positively legendary for their next-level themes and costumes. Year over year, the team manages to outdo itself, and 2009 was no exception. In fact, it was out of this world – literally. The theme? “Star Wars.” Al Roker was a stellar Han Solo, Kathie Lee made for a flawless C-3PO and there was even a X-wing starfighter on the Plaza. But it was Hoda’s makeover as Yoda that will live on in TODAY show infamy.
July 2012: Hoda covers the London Olympics
In 2012, Hoda took her reporting skills across the pond and covered the Summer Olympics hosted in London — the first of many for the TODAY co-anchor. There, she joined Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Natalie Morales in keeping TODAY fans up to date on the latest happenings at the Games of the XXX Olympiad.
August 2014: Hoda turns 50!
Hoda’s 50th birthday was quite the celebration! As part of the festivities, the TODAY co-hosts surprised her with a three-layer cake made up of her favorite things, including her mom Sami’s baklava. Hoda was also treated to a special ride to work in a 1964 Mustang convertible chauffeured by none other than actor Dean Cain. If that wasn’t enough, Hoda and Kathie Lee drank champagne and enjoyed a dance party deejayed by Lil Jon.
August 2016: Hoda heads to the Rio Games
From bringing the TODAY audience the latest details on medals and athletes to enjoying the lively nightlife with co-hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Natalie Morales, Hoda made the most of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio. She even helped oil up Pita Taufatofua, the Tongan flag bearer.
February 2017: Hoda welcomes Haley Joy!
In 2017, Hoda announced that she was officially a new mom after adopting a baby girl she named Haley Joy. The name, she explained, came from Halley’s comet, something that can only be seen from Earth approximately once every 75 years. “It was one of those things. I just picture her sailing through the sky,” Hoda told the TODAY co-anchors at the time. “She brings us joy. She’s got a beautiful way about her.”
January 2018: Hoda and Savannah take over TODAY
On Jan. 2, 2018, Savannah and Hoda made TODAY history as the first all-female duo to host the show. It would prove to be a match made in heaven. Reflecting on their time as co-hosts in 2023, Savannah told Hoda, “We’re so lucky. You’re my soul sister,” and that working with Hoda was “the joy of a lifetime.” In return, Hoda said, “Can I just say that the stuff that we show on TV is fun, but the stuff I love the most is the stuff that’s not on TV.”
April 2019: Hoda and Kathie Lee share a tearful goodbye
For 11 years, Hoda and Kathie Lee entertained TODAY viewers with their lively conversations, laugh-out-loud moments, vulnerable revelations and sweet friendship. But in 2019, the pair bid each other a fond adieu when Kathie Lee left to chart a new course in her life. “God brought Hoda into my life for all kinds of different reasons,” Kathie Lee said of her leaving on TODAY. “I was supposed to learn from her. She was supposed to learn from me. We were supposed to share life together.” As for Hoda, the TODAY co-anchor said of her partner in crime, “I was transfixed by her when we met. I don’t know if you’ve ever had that chemistry where you connect with someone like that. I had it, and it was a feeling I’d never had before — that kind of intensity.”
April 2019: It’s Hoda & Jenna!
Kathie Lee’s departure may have marked the end of an era, but a new chapter was just beginning as Jenna joined TODAY’s fourth hour, officially launching Hoda & Jenna. In their five years together, the two have shared so much. Both welcomed new babies during their first year as co-hosts, they dueted on “Carefree Christmas,” a holiday single, and had countless other adventures to boot, including a polar plunge and trips to New Orleans and Bermuda.
April 2019: Hoda welcomes another new addition
Two years after bringing Haley Joy home, Hoda adopted Hope Catherine, officially making Haley Joy a big sister. A joyful Hoda told Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager during the fourth hour of TODAY that “my heart is, like, exploding.” As for her new daughter’s name, Hoda explained that it was inspired by her hope to adopt another child. “The name came because there are a lot of women out there who are hoping that their day is coming too, and I know the feeling of it not happening for a long time,” she said.
February 2020: Oprah brings Hoda to tears
Throughout the decades, Hoda has interviewed countless celebrities, dignitaries and even former U.S. presidents. But it was Oprah Winfrey who had the TODAY co-anchor dabbing her eyes when she visited Hoda & Jenna in February 2020. A longtime fan of the media mogul, Hoda told Winfrey just how much she meant to her. “I watched you over the years. I watched you lift people up. There’s only a couple people on the Earth who you want to emulate in our business. I watched you hold people’s hearts in your hand, and I remember thinking, ‘How does she do that?’ And you did it in such a way that was always so tender and real, and the fact that you’re sitting here on this day is really kind of blowing my mind.”
September 2023: Hoda officiates a wedding on the Plaza
Hoda has worn many hats during her 26 years at NBC, but it’s being an ordained minister that just might take the cake – the wedding cake, that is. After getting engaged during a 2023 Valentine’s Day celebration on the TODAY Plaza, superfans Ben Hebert and Mindy Shore tied the knot seven months later. Al walked Shore down the aisle and Hoda presided as officiant of the ceremony. Of Hebert and Shore exchanging vows on TODAY, Hoda said, “We’re so honored that you decided to choose us for the place to get married. We hope you have a memory that you’ll have to take through your beautiful lives together.”
October 2023: Hoda channels Cher for Halloween
With each passing year, it seems like TODAY’s Halloween party only gets better and better. The proof? Hoda and Jenna as the incomparable Sonny and Cher in 2023. Wearing a Bob Mackie-inspired gown, Hoda brought down the house with her hilarious portrayal of the legendary diva. As for how she refined it, Hoda told TODAY.com that she studied Jack (Sean Hayes) from the TV sitcom “Will & Grace.” Laughing, she said, “That’s how I’m getting my impression.”
June 2024: Hoda sits down with Céline Dion
Prior to her dazzling performance at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Céline Dion sat down with Hoda to discuss her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome in an exclusive interview. Despite the challenges of living with the rare neurological disorder, Dion told Hoda that she fully intended to continue singing. “I’m going to come onstage because I’m ready. And my vocal cords will not scare me because I’m going to be ready, and I’m going to hit those notes,” said Dion.
August 2024: Hoda cheers on Team USA in Paris
We can’t think of a bigger fan of Team USA than Hoda. A cheerleader for all the athletes, she became especially close with the U.S. women’s gymnastics team during the Paris Olympics, leaving the TODAY co-anchor on the edge of her seat during their competitions. Fortunately, she didn’t need to worry, since they ended up bringing home the gold. By being such a support, Hoda was dubbed the team’s “olympic momma” by Simone Biles.
August 2024: Hoda celebrates 60 on the Plaza
Yet another major milestone celebrated on TODAY’s legendary Plaza! This time it was Hoda’s 60th birthday and, oh, what a celebration it was.
The TODAY family and her many fans wished the longtime anchor a very happy birthday in an extravaganza that included visits from the dance school Groove With Me and her daughters, Hope and Haley, along with showstopping performances from Sugarland and Little Big Town.
January 2025: Hoda says goodbye
On Friday, Jan. 10, after 26 years at NBC, Hoda bid farewell to her TODAY colleagues in an emotional week-long “Hoda-bration.” The decision to depart was announced in September, shortly after Hoda’s 60th birthday celebration.
“I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60, and to try something new,” she said. “I remembered standing outside looking at this beautiful bunch of people with these gorgeous signs, and I thought, ‘this is what the top of the wave feels like for me.’ And I thought it can’t get better, and I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on.”
In honor of her last show, Hoda posed alongside Savannah Guthrie to recreate the photo they took together on their first day as co-anchors on Jan. 2, 2018.
Surprise guests came out to share their support, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Simone Biles, Maria Shriver and Oprah Winfrey, who shared a pre-recorded message for Hoda.
“I know how challenging it is to come to the moment where you say, ‘I have done it, I have done it, and now it’s time to move on to the next thing. And I will tell you that in the future, you’re going to look back and you’re going to say, ‘Was that the right decision? Did I do the right thing?’ And I will assure you that yes, you have made the right move, although it has been very hard to do,” she said.
Hoda’s colleagues shared a moving series of messages looking back on their relationship with her over the years in a tribute that left Hoda in tears. “That was not fair,” Hoda said after watching the video.
Later, as Hoda and Savannah headed to the Plaza arm-in-arm, they were met with cheering TODAY show producers and staff equipped with “Hoda” swag and streamers. Together, the staffers formed a line from 30 Rock to the Plaza. Once outside, Hoda was surrounded by her TODAY colleagues and fans carrying handmade signs.
“I read your cards. I got your bracelets. I got the scarves you crocheted. I got everything,” Hoda said. “I want to say ‘thank you’ from the bottom of my heart.”
