She’s back! For the first time since Feb. 17, Hoda Kotb appeared live on the March 6 episode of the Today Show. Hoda had been missing from her co-anchor chair for two weeks amidst a “family health matter,” and she confirmed what was wrong when she made her big return. “My youngest, Hope, was in the ICU for a few days in the hospital for a little more than a week,” Hoda revealed. “I’m grateful she’s home. She is back home. I was waiting for that day to come. We are watching her closely. I’m just so happy.”
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
Hoda did not expand on what was wrong with the three-year-old, but she did get emotional as she discussed how grateful she is for all of the people who supported her during this difficult time. Speaking to her co-host, Savannah Guthrie, Hoda got choked up as she shared, “I realized, too, 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 Weil Cornell, who were amazing, and the nurses. And I’m grateful to my family and friends like you who were there every single day. So I want to say thank you for that. I love you.”
Hoda had last appeared on Today during the Friday, Feb. 17 episode. Although she made a pre-taped appearance on Mon., Feb. 20, she was absent from the show following that. Fans began to question where she was, and on March 1, Craig Melvin explained that she had been dealing with a “family health matter” at home. This was the first time, though, that Hoda confirmed it was her daughter who was unwell. Hoda adopted her daughter, Hope, as well as her older daughter, Haley, who is six, with ex, Joel Schiffman.
Meanwhile, Savannah was also looking good and healthy as she sat alongside Hoda on the March 6 broadcast. She previously missed several days of work after testing positive for COVID-19 in the middle of the show’s Feb. 28 episode.