Hoda Kotb

What was Hoda Kotb's early life like?

Hoda Kotb was born in Norman, Oklahoma, to Egyptian Muslim parents and spent her formative years in Morgantown, West Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia. She resided in New Orleans throughout the 1990s. Her family also lived abroad for a year in Egypt and Nigeria. Kotb has a brother named Adel and a sister named Hala. Her mother, Sameha ("Sami"), worked at the Library of Congress, while her father, Abdel Kader Kotb (1932–1985), was a fossil energy specialist listed in Who's Who of Technology. He passed away at the age of 52. In an interview with the 92nd Street Y, Kotb reflected on her Muslim heritage by recalling summer vacations in Egypt with her veiled cousins. She expressed gratitude for her parents' decision to move to the United States: "We met our cousins who looked just like us. Some of them had the head cover on. I still remember going, 'Oh my God. Like that could have been me.' You don't realize the gift your parents give you when you leave." Kotb also touched upon her family's Muslim background in her autobiography while describing matchmaking attempts by her relatives during visits to Egypt: "During my visit, I'd be sitting on the couch and there'd come a knock-knock at the door. 'Hoda, someone's at the door for yooooouuuu ...' Oh Lord. 'This is Mohamed. He's from Cairo. He's studying engineering ... and he has a Mercedes.' Really? He also has on a long white man dress. Okay, call it a dishdash." Kotb graduated from Fort Hunt High School in 1982 where she was elected homecoming queen and chosen to speak at her graduating class's baccalaureate service. At Virginia Tech, she was an active member of the Delta Delta Delta women's sorority, Beta Nu Chapter, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism in 1986. She returned to Virginia Tech as the keynote speaker for the 2008 graduation ceremony where she famously played Metallica's "Enter Sandman" over her iPod during her speech. In recognition of her achievements and contributions, Kotb was elected to a three-year term on the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors in 2010.

What has Hoda Kotb's career journey been like?

Kotb began her broadcasting career right after college at WXVT, a CBS affiliate in Greenville, Mississippi. She then progressed to WQAD, an ABC affiliate in Moline, Illinois, where she served as a reporter from 1988 to 1989. Following this, Kotb took on the roles of weekend anchor and reporter at the CBS affiliate WINK in Fort Myers, Florida from 1989 to 1991. Her next move was to WWL, a CBS affiliate in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she worked as an anchor and reporter from 1992 until 1998. In 2011, Kotb made an appearance in Martina McBride's music video for "I'm Gonna Love You Through It," a heartfelt ballad dedicated to cancer survivors.

What is the latest news from NBC News regarding Hoda Kotb?

Hoda Kotb officially joined NBC News in April 1998 as a correspondent for Dateline NBC and other NBC News platforms. She made her mark as the inaugural host of Today's fourth-hour weekday morning broadcast at 10:00 a.m. in September 2007, with Kathie Lee Gifford joining her as co-host in April 2008. Following Gifford's departure from the show, Jenna Bush Hager stepped in as co-host in April 2019. On February 23, 2015, Kotb expanded her presence by hosting a live, one-hour show twice a week on Sirius XM's Today channel, engaging listeners with casual water cooler discussions. Kotb's role at Today evolved significantly when she was named co-anchor alongside Savannah Guthrie on January 2, 2018, after Matt Lauer's termination due to accusations of sexual misconduct. The duo had been interim co-anchors since November 29, 2017, marking the first time two women led the show. On September 26, 2024, Kotb announced she would be stepping down as co-anchor of Today to explore new opportunities. While she will remain with NBC News, details about her new role have yet to be disclosed.

What books has Hoda Kotb written?

In October 2010, Hoda Kotb published her New York Times bestselling autobiography, *Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee*. She followed this with her second book on January 15, 2013, titled *Ten Years Later: Six People Who Faced Adversity and Transformed Their Lives*. In this work, she explores six individuals' life-altering experiences and revisits their progress a decade later. In 2016, Kotb released her third book, *Where They Belong: The Best Decisions People Almost Never Made*, which showcases various inspiring stories of people who discovered their true paths in unexpected ways. By October 2019, she had published her sixth book, *I Really Needed This Today*, a compilation of personal reflections and relationships interspersed with quotes and 365 daily sayings designed to motivate and uplift readers. A year later, in October 2020, she released a follow-up titled *This Just Speaks to Me*, which delves deeper into her daily musings with additional anecdotes and quotes. Kotb has also ventured into children's literature. Her first children's book—and fourth overall—*I've Loved You Since Forever*, came out in 2018 and was later adapted into a lullaby by Kelly Clarkson. Her second children's book—and fifth overall—*You Are My Happy*, which highlights the everyday joys that evoke gratitude, was released in March 2019.

What awards has Hoda Kotb received?

In 2002, Hoda Kotb received the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for her exceptional reporting. She went on to earn her first Gracie Awards in 2003 and again in 2008. Kotb's distinguished work on Dateline NBC's "Saving Dane – Adoptees Rage" earned her a Headliner Award in 2004. Her impactful reporting continued with "The Education of Ms. Groves," for which she was honored with a Peabody Award in 2006, another Headliner Award in 2007, and the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award in 2008. During her tenure as part of the Today morning show lineup, the program won Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program consecutively in 2010, 2011, and 2012. In recognition of her collaborative music video "Truly Brave" with Sara Bareilles and Cyndi Lauper, aimed at raising awareness for pediatric cancer, Kotb won a Webby Award for Online Film & Video – Public Service & Activism in 2015. That same year, she also received a Gracie Award for Outstanding Host in News/Non-fiction. Her excellence was further acknowledged with another Gracie Award for Outstanding Host in Entertainment/Information for her SiriusXM show in 2016. In 2018, Time magazine named Kotb one of its 100 Most Influential People. The following year, she and Kathie Lee Gifford were awarded a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host during their co-hosting period. Most recently, Kotb was honored with the Matrix Award in October 2021.

What is Hoda Kotb's personal life like?

What is Hoda Kotb's family like?

In 2005, Hoda Kotb tied the knot with Burzis Kanga, a tennis coach at the University of New Orleans. However, their marriage concluded in divorce by 2008. Kotb entered into a relationship with New York financier Joel Schiffman in 2013. On February 21, 2017, she joyfully revealed on the Today show that she had adopted a baby girl named Haley Joy Kotb. Later, on April 16, 2019, Kotb called into Today to share the happy news that she had adopted a second baby girl, Hope Catherine Kotb. The couple's relationship progressed further when Kotb announced live on Today on November 25, 2019, that she and Schiffman were engaged. However, on January 31, 2022, during the fourth hour of Today (Hoda & Jenna), Kotb disclosed that they had ended their engagement and decided to concentrate on co-parenting as friends.

What health problems has Hoda Kotb experienced?

In March 2007, Kotb underwent a mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery as part of her treatment for breast cancer. Since then, she has emerged as a passionate advocate for breast cancer awareness. Allowing the cameras from Today to document her journey through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, Kotb shared her personal battle with viewers. After being declared cancer-free, she continued to leverage her platform on the show to raise awareness and educate others about breast cancer.

What is Hoda Kotb's career timeline?

In 1986, this individual started their career as a news assistant for CBS News in Cairo, Egypt. From 1986 to 1989, they served as a morning anchor and general assignment reporter at WQAD-TV (ABC) in Moline, Illinois, and later as an anchor at WXVT-TV (CBS) in Greenville and Greenwood, Mississippi. Between 1989 and 1991, they worked as a weekend anchor and reporter for WINK-TV (CBS) in Fort Myers, Florida. From 1992 to 1998, they were an anchor and reporter at WWL-TV (CBS) in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1998, they joined NBC News where they have held various roles ever since. They became a national correspondent for NBC News starting in the same year. Concurrently, from 1998 onwards, they also contributed as an anchor and correspondent for Dateline NBC. Between 2004 and 2008, they hosted the weekly syndicated series "Your Total Health." Since 2007, they have co-hosted the fourth hour of the Today show—initially with Kathie Lee Gifford until April 2019 and then with Jenna Bush Hager from April 2019 to the present. Moreover, from 2007 to 2017, they occasionally served as a substitute co-anchor on Today before being named featured co-anchor in 2017. Since then, starting in 2018, they have been serving as a co-anchor on Today alongside Savannah Guthrie. Additionally, since that same year, they have also been one of the hosts for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

What are Hoda Kotb's other appearances?

Here is the rewritten article section: - **2009:** Appeared in "Lipstick Jungle" as herself (1 episode) - **2010:** Guest-starred on "30 Rock" as herself (1 episode) - **2014:** Featured in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" as herself (2 episodes) - **2014–2017:** Recurring role in "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce" as herself (4 episodes) - **2015:** Participated in "Lip Sync Battle" as herself (1 episode) - **2015:** Starred in the movie "Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!" as herself - **2015:** Appeared in "Donny!" as herself (2 episodes) - **2016:** Guest appearance on "Younger" as herself (1 episode) - **2016:** Served as a celebrity judge on "Brothers Take New Orleans" - **2017:** Featured in an episode of "Nashville" as herself (1 episode) - **2017:** Starred again in the movie sequel "Sharknado 5: Global Swarming" as herself - **2018:** Voiced Miss Sweetums on "Mickey and the Roadster Racers" - **2020:** Appeared on "The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo" both as a guest and playing herself - **2021:** Featured on an episode of "Valerie's Home Cooking" as herself (1 episode) - **2022:** Made a cameo appearance in the film “Marry Me” as herself - **2022:** Guest-starred on “Girls5eva” as herself (1 episode) - **2024:** Scheduled to appear on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as herself (1 episode)