Hoda Kotb ( ; arz, هدى قطب, ''Hudā Quṭb''; ; born August 9, 1964) is an American broadcast

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

, television personality, and author. She is a main co-anchor of the

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...

morning show Breakfast television (Europe, Canada, and Australia) or morning show (United States) is a type of news or infotainment television programme that broadcasts live in the morning (typically scheduled between 5:00 and 10:00a.m., or if it is a ...

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' and co-host of its entertainment-focused fourth hour. Kotb formerly served as a

correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...

for the television

news magazine A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published magazine, radio or television program, usually published weekly, consisting of articles about current events. News magazines generally discuss stories, in greater depth than do newspapers or n ...

program ''

Dateline NBC ''Dateline NBC'' is a weekly American television news magazine/reality legal show that is broadcast on NBC. It was previously the network's flagship general interest news magazine, but now focuses mainly on true crime stories with only occasio ...

''.

Early life

Kotb was born in

Norman, Oklahoma Norman () is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, with a population of 128,097 as of 2021. It is the largest city and the county seat of Cleveland County, and the second-largest city in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, b ...

, and grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, and

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C. In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...

. She lived in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

throughout the 1990s. Kotb's parents are from

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

. Kotb and her family lived in Egypt for a year, as well as in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. She has a brother, Adel, and a sister, Hala. Her mother, Sameha ("Sami"), worked at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

. Her father, Abdel Kader Kotb, was a fossil energy specialist and was listed in the ''Who's Who of Technology''. He died at the age of 51 in 1986. During a 92nd Street Y interview, Kotb hinted at her Muslim roots when she recounted her memories of annual summer vacations in Egypt and her veiled cousins and how her parents' migration to the United States had spared her from having to do the same:

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 similarly indirectly spoke about her family's Muslim background in her autobiography when she described attempts at match-making by her relatives in 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.

She graduated from

Fort Hunt High School Fort Hunt High School was a public secondary school near Alexandria, Virginia from 1963 until 1985, when it was converted to a middle school. Constructed at a cost of $2.5 million, Fort Hunt High opened its doors at 8428 Fort Hunt Road in 1963, t ...

in 1982. She was elected

homecoming queen Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

and selected to speak at her graduating class's

baccalaureate service A baccalaureate service (or baccalaureate Mass) is a celebration that honors a graduating class from a college, high school, or middle school. The event is typically a Christianity-based interdenominational (ecumenical) service, though it may ...

. In her college years at

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...

, Kotb was a member of

Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta Delta (), also known as Tri Delta, is an international women's fraternity founded on November 27, 1888 at Boston University by Sarah Ida Shaw, Eleanor Dorcas Pond, Isabel Morgan Breed, and Florence Isabelle Stewart. Tri Delta part ...

women's sorority, Beta Nu Chapter. In 1986, Kotb graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree in

broadcast journalism Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are broadcast by electronic methods instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. It works on radio (via air, cable, and Internet), television (via air, cable, ...

. Kotb was the keynote speaker at her alma mater for the 2008 Virginia Tech graduation and in her speech, played Metallica's "

Enter Sandman "Enter Sandman" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the opening track and lead single from their self-titled fifth album, released in 1991. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Vocalist an ...

" over her iPod. In 2010, Kotb was elected to a three-year term to the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Career

Hoda Kotb with crew members at the 66th Annual Peabody Awards

Kotb's first on-air job after college was at then-

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

affiliate WXVT in

Greenville, Mississippi Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 34,400 at the 2010 census. It is located in the area of historic cotton plantations and culture known as the Mississippi Delta. H ...

. Kotb then moved to ABC affiliate

WQAD WQAD-TV (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Moline, Illinois, United States, serving the Quad Cities area as an affiliate of ABC and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station maintains studios on Park 16th Street in Moline, and ...

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island ...

as a reporter from 1988 to 1989. She became a weekend anchor and reporter at CBS affiliate

WINK A wink is a facial expression made by briefly closing one eye. A wink is an informal mode of non-verbal communication usually signaling shared hidden knowledge or intent. However, it is ambiguous by itself and highly dependent upon additional c ...

in Fort Myers, Florida from 1989 to 1991. From 1992 to 1998, Kotb was an anchor and reporter for CBS affiliate WWL in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. In 2011,

Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and reloc ...

asked Kotb to be featured in her music video for " I'm Gonna Love You Through It," a ballad dedicated to cancer survivors.

NBC News

Kotb officially joined

in April 1998 as a correspondent for ''Dateline NBC'' and all NBC News platforms. She was the first host of ''Today'''s first fourth-hour weekday morning broadcast at 10:00 a.m. in September 2007 and was joined by

Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford ( née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show '' Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee''. Gifford is ...

as a co-host in April 2008. Gifford was later succeeded by

Jenna Bush Hager Jenna Welch Bush Hager (born November 25, 1981) is an American news personality, author, and journalist. She is the co-host of '' Today with Hoda & Jenna'', the fourth hour of NBC's morning news program ''Today.'' Hager and her fraternal twin sis ...

in April 2019, following Gifford's departure from the show. On February 23, 2015, Kotb began hosting a live, one-hour show twice a week on Sirius XM's ''Today'' channel, discussing casual,

water cooler A water dispenser, known as water cooler (if used for cooling only), is a machine that dispenses and often also cools or heats up water with a refrigeration unit. It is commonly located near the restroom due to closer access to plumbing. A drain ...

topics. On January 2, 2018, Kotb was named co-anchor of ''Today'' with

Savannah Guthrie Savannah Clark Guthrie (born December 27, 1971) is an American broadcast journalist and attorney. She is a main co-anchor of the NBC News, morning show ''Today'', a position she has held since July 2012. Guthrie joined NBC News in September 2 ...

after anchor

Matt Lauer Matthew Todd Lauer (; born December 30, 1957) is an American former television news personality, best known for his work with NBC News. After serving as a local news personality in New York City on WNBC, his first national exposure was as the ne ...

was terminated by NBC News following accusations of sexual misconduct. She and Guthrie had been interim co-anchors since Lauer's termination on November 29, 2017. They make up the first female anchor duo to lead the show.

Books

In October 2010, Kotb released a ''New York Times'' bestselling autobiography, ''Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee.'' On January 15, 2013, she released her second book, ''Ten Years Later: Six People Who Faced Adversity and Transformed Their Lives'', in which she chronicles six stories by identifying a life-changing event in each subject's life and then revisiting each of those six people a decade later. In 2016, Kotb released her third book, ''Where They Belong: The Best Decisions People Almost Never Made'', which features a selection of various stories of inspiring people who "found themselves" in completely unexpected moments or unforeseen circumstances. In October 2019, Kotb released her sixth book, ''I Really Needed This Today'', which includes personal notes about her experiences and relationships, an assortment of quotes, and 365 sayings that she hopes inspires and uplifts readers. She released a follow-up in October 2020 titled ''This Just Speaks to Me'', which expands on her daily reflections and includes additional personal anecdotes and quotes. Kotb has also released her own children's books. The first one, her fourth book overall, ''I've Loved You Since Forever'', was released in 2018, and was adapted into a lullaby by

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

. Her second children's book, her fifth book overall, ''You Are My Happy'', which celebrates the things in life that bring gratitude, was released in March 2019.

Awards

In 2002, Kotb was awarded the Edward R. Murrow Award for her reporting. Kotb received her first

Gracie Awards The Gracie Awards are awards presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWM) in the United States, to celebrate and honor programming created for women, by women, and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplary contr ...

in 2003 and 2008. Kotb was awarded a Headliner Award in 2004 for ''Dateline NBC'''s "Saving Dane – Adoptees Rage". In 2006, Kotb was awarded a Peabody Award for ''Dateline NBC'''s "The Education of Ms. Groves", which earned her an additional Headliner Award in 2007, as well as the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award in 2008. In 2010, 2011, and 2012, during which Kotb was a part of the ''Today'' morning host lineup, ''Today'' won a

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

for Outstanding Morning Program. In 2015, she won a

Webby Award The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories includ ...

for Online Film & Video – Public Service & Activism for her music video, "Truly Brave", which she created in collaboration with Sara Bareilles and

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

to raise awareness for pediatric cancer. That same year, she received an additional Gracie Award for Outstanding Host in News/Non-fiction in 2015. In 2016, Kotb was awarded with a Gracie Award for Outstanding Host in Entertainment/Information for her SiriusXM show. Kolb was included in ''Time'' magazine's ''100 Most Influential People of 2018''. In 2019, Kotb and Gifford were awarded a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host during their time as co-hosts. Kotb was awarded the

Matrix Award Matrix most commonly refers to: * ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise ** ''The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film ** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchis ...

in October 2021.

Personal life

Family

In 2005, Kotb married former

University of New Orleans The University of New Orleans (UNO) is a public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a member of the University of Louisiana System and the Urban 13 association. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High rese ...

tennis coach, Burzis Kanga. The marriage ended in divorce in 2008. Kotb began a relationship with New York financier Joel Schiffman in 2013. On November 25, 2019, Kotb announced live on ''Today'' that she was engaged to Schiffman. On January 31, 2022, Kotb announced during the fourth hour of ''Today'' (''Hoda & Jenna'') that she and Schiffman had ended their engagement and would focus on co-parenting as friends. On February 21, 2017, Kotb announced on ''Today'' that she had adopted a baby girl named Haley Joy Kotb. On April 16, 2019, Kotb came on ''Today'' via phone to announce she had adopted a second baby girl named Hope Catherine Kotb.

Health

In March 2007, Kotb underwent a

mastectomy Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. A mastectomy is usually carried out to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operat ...

and

reconstructive surgery Reconstructive surgery is surgery performed to restore normal appearance and function to body parts malformed by a disease or medical condition. Description Reconstructive surgery is a term with training, clinical, and reimbursement implicat ...

for

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a r ...

and has since become an advocate for breast cancer awareness. Kotb allowed ''Today'' cameras to follow her throughout her cancer battle. After she was declared cancer-free, she has continued to document and use the story on the show to raise awareness for breast cancer. On January 6, 2022, Kotb announced she tested positive for COVID-19. Although she has received both of her vaccine doses as well as her booster shot, Kotb told ''

'' that she is "experiencing mild symptoms and is feeling good while isolating at home."

Career timeline

* 1986: CBS News – news assistant Cairo, Egypt * 1986–1989: Morning anchor and general assignment reporter

WQAD-TV WQAD-TV (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Moline, Illinois, United States, serving the Quad Cities area as an affiliate of ABC and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station maintains studios on Park 16th Street in Moline, an ...

, ABC

; and anchor WXVT-TV, CBS Greenville and

Greenwood, Mississippi Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta region, approximately 96 miles north of the state capital, Jackson, and 130 miles south of the riverp ...

* 1989–1991: Weekend anchor and reporter

WINK-TV WINK-TV (channel 11) is a television station licensed to Fort Myers, Florida, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for Southwest Florida. It is owned by the McBride family and their Fort Myers Broadcasting Company, making it one of a han ...

, CBS Fort Myers, Florida * 1992–1998: Anchor and reporter

WWL-TV WWL-TV (channel 4) is a television station in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside Slidell-licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate WUPL (channel 54). Both stations share studios on Rampart St ...

, CBS

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

* 1998–present:

** 1998–present: ''

National correspondent ** 1998–present: ''

'' contributing anchor and correspondent ** 2004–2008: Host of the weekly syndicated series ''Your Total Health'' ** 2007–present: ''

'' 4th hour co-host (with

from April 2008–April 2019,

April 2019–present)l ** 2007–2017: ''

'' substitute co-anchor ** 2017: ''

'' featured co-anchor ** 2018–present: ''

'' co-anchor with

** 2018–present: ''

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...

'' host

Other appearances

* 2009: '' Lipstick Jungle'' as Herself (1 episode) * 2010: '' 30 Rock'' as Herself (1 episode) * 2014: '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' as Herself (2 episodes) * 2014–2017: ''

Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce ''Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce'' (also known as ''Girlfriends' Guide to Freedom'' in season 3, ''Girlfriends' Guide to Bossing Up'' in season 4, and ''Girlfriends' Guide to Ever After'' in season 5) is an American comedy-drama television series ...

'' as Herself (4 episodes) * 2015: '' Lip Sync Battle'' as Herself (1 episode) * 2015: '' Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!'' as Herself (movie) * 2015: ''

Donny! ''Donny!'' is an American sitcom created by Donny Deutsch and Angie Day. The series aired on USA Network from November 10 to December 15, 2015. On August 3, 2016, USA announced that the series was cancelled after one season. Cast Main *Donny Deu ...

'' as Herself (2 episodes) * 2016: '' Younger'' as Herself (1 episode) * 2016: '' Brothers Take New Orleans'' Celebrity judge * 2017: '' Nashville'' as Herself (1 episode) * 2017: '' Sharknado 5: Global Swarming'' as Herself (movie) * 2018: '' Mickey and the Roadster Racers'' as Miss Sweetums * 2020: ''

The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo ''The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by the Muppet character Elmo. It is a spin-off of ''Sesame Street'' and was developed exclusively for the HBO Max streaming service. The series, consisting of 13 e ...

'' as Herself/guest * 2021: '' Valerie's Home Cooking'' as Herself (1 episode) * 2022: '' Marry Me'' as Herself (cameo) * 2022: ''

Girls5eva ''Girls5eva'' is an American musical comedy television series created by Meredith Scardino that premiered on May 6, 2021, on Peacock. The series centers on four women who were part of a girl group named Girls5eva, which was briefly popular arou ...

'' as Herself (1 episode)

References

External links

Official MSNBC bio
* * Chambers, David (March/April 2006)

'' Saudi Aramco World''. Volume 57, Number 2 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kotb, Hoda 1964 births Living people 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American journalists American people of Egyptian descent Egyptian journalists African-American journalists American women television journalists American television reporters and correspondents Journalists from Virginia Journalists from West Virginia NBC News people Television anchors from New Orleans New Orleans television reporters Peabody Award winners People from Fairfax County, Virginia People from Morgantown, West Virginia Virginia Tech alumni Writers from West Virginia Writers from Alexandria, Virginia American expatriates in Nigeria 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American writers 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people