Hoda Kotb shared a cryptic put up on her Instagram account on Monday, as her ongoing unexplained absence from Today and Today with Hoda and Jenna sparks concern amongst followers.
The beloved broadcaster, 58, was final seen on screens through the February 20 President’s Day broadcast of Today with Hoda and Jenna, although that vacation episode was shot on February 17—the identical day as her final reside look.
In Kotb’s absence, a number of personalities beneath NBC’s Today banner have been filling in on her behalf. Today‘s third-hour co-host Craig Melvin and World News Tonight anchor Tom Llamas joined Savannah Guthrie on the primary present. Meanwhile, the fourth hour has seen Willie Geist and Sheinelle Jones host alongside Jenna Bush Hager.
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While she hasn’t been seen on TV, Kotb additionally hasn’t been heard on her Today channel podcast Making Space; new episodes are normally launched at 4 a.m. every Monday. The most up-to-date episode was launched on February 20.
During their respective third and fourth hours of Today, neither Guthrie not Bush Hagar specified why Kotb has been absent from her function, merely saying that she’s “out,” or introducing the non permanent co-hosts as being “in” for the star that day.
While TV character Kotb additionally hasn’t addressed her absence straight, she has been sharing a collection of cryptic posts on her Instagram account.
On Monday, she posted a photograph of the phrases “Choose Hope” above clouds, including a pair of pink coronary heart emojis as her caption.
The day earlier than, she shared a put up that learn: “Sometimes miracles are just people with kind hearts,” and wished everybody a “Happy Sunday” within the caption.
Further posts shared by Kotb in latest days have referred to the passing of “dark clouds” and being “brave” and “strong.”
The posts have sparked an outpouring of concern from followers, certainly one of whom wrote: “Today show just isn’t the same without you! I hope you’re ok, but boy if they are letting you go.. people are going to drop like [flies] watching Today. We Love Hoda!”
“Ok. Seriously…what is going on with you?” commented one other. “I know you have a right to privacy, but your truest fans have noticed your absence and these posts…worried about you.”
“Hoda, we are really worried about you,” one other fan wrote. “Take all the time you need, but I know I collectively speak for everyone when I say we pray you and yours are ok! We miss you!”
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“I’m off social media for Lent but came to your site [because] I’m worried,” stated one other. “Hoping your absence is for happy reasons and not worrisome ones. We love you.”
“Did you get another baby, Hoda? This is usually what happens when you go missing for 2 [weeks]. Sure hope, it’s something good,” stated one other, in reference to Kotb having adopted two daughters with former fiancé Joel Schiffman.
Kotb is a longtime worker of NBC News. She joined the community in 1998 as a correspondent for Dateline. In 2008, she started co-hosting the ten a.m. hour of Today with Kathie Lee Gifford. Before that, she started her profession anchoring and reporting native information in New Orleans and Fort Meyers, Florida.
In November 2017, Kotb stepped in as an interim alternative for Matt Lauer, after he was fired from the present amid sexual harassment allegations. Her place was made everlasting in January 2018.
Newsweek has reached out to representatives of Kotb and Today for remark.