Hoda Kotb is back on NBC’s Today.
The show’s co-anchor returned to her chair Monday morning after being away for the past few weeks. Kotb’s on-air colleagues announced last week on-air that she was off due to a “family health matter she’s been dealing with.” Kotb disclosed this morning to viewers that said matter was that her three year old daughter Hope had been ill.
She is back home now.
“My youngest, Hope, was in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for a little more than a week,” Kotb said at the top of the broadcast. “I’m so grateful she’s home. She is back home. I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy.”
Kotb added, “You know what I realized, too, Savannah? When your child is ill, the amount of gratitude you can have for people who helped you out. I’m grateful for the doctors at Weill Cornell who were amazing and the nurses. And I’m grateful to my family, and I’m grateful to friends like you who were there every single day. So, I want to say thank you for that. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Guthrie replied.
NEW: Hoda Kotb returns to TODAY after handling her daughter’s health matter.
“I’m so grateful she’s home,” Hoda said. pic.twitter.com/z5f8herdyB
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 6, 2023
Kotb’s absence coincided with Guthrie testing positive for Covid-19 on Feb. 28. She left the anchor desk in the middle of that day’s broadcast.
It was Guthrie’s third time contracting the virus, and she appears to be fine.