As Hoda Kotb gears up to say goodbye to the Today show, she said hello to someone from her NBC past.
Kotb, 60, reunited with her former fourth hour of Today cohost, Kathie Lee Gifford, to watch the New York Giants take on the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, December 8. Kotb shared photos from the football outing via Instagram, writing, "@nygiants and @saints great day @metlifestadium."
Kotb and her eldest daughter, Haley, 7, sat in a suite with Kathie Lee, 71, and her son, Cody Gifford. The group also included Cody's wife, Erika Brown, and their sons Frankie, 2, and Ford, 12 months. (Kotb shares Haley and her youngest daughter, Hope, 5, with her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman. Kathie Lee, meanwhile, shares Cody and her daughter, Cassidy, 31, with her late husband, Frank Gifford.)
While Kathie Lee's family were cheering on the Giants, Kotb was rooting for the Saints, as she lived in New Orleans for several years during the early days of her TV news career. Despite supporting different teams, the group were all smiles while posing for pics together.
Kotb opened up about her NFL game experience on the Monday, December 9, episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna, revealing that she opted out of her early bird ways and stayed until the end of the match.
"The Saints were winning by three points. There was a kick at the end, and the Giants had an easy layup kick. They could have tied it [in] overtime," she explained to her cohost, Jenna Bush Hager. "And someone next to us said, 'Hey, Haley. Which way are we gonna lean for the kick? Do we lean left or do we lean right?' And she goes, 'Right!' So, our whole section leaned right and it was an easy kick, and I missed [watching] the kick."
Kotb continued: "I go, 'Haley, we're gonna sit in traffic.' She goes, 'I don't care, Mom.' We sat together, we kind of dozed off, we held hands and we rode home."
Kotb joined NBC as a Dateline correspondent in 1998 before making her Today debut as Kathie Lee's fourth hour cohost in 2008. Kathie Lee left the NBC morning show in 2019, after which Bush Hager, 43, took over her fourth hour spot.
Back in September, Kotb surprised fans by announcing she's leaving Today early next year. Following her final episode on January 10, 2025, Craig Melvin will replace Kotb as Savannah Guthrie's coanchor. Hoda & Jenna will continue as Today With Jenna & Friends and feature Bush Hager with a rotating lineup of guest hosts until a permanent replacement is selected.
Kathie Lee called Kotb's decision to step down from the show "bittersweet" via X in September, adding, "Her warmth, laughter, and incredible spirit have brightened our mornings and touched countless hearts. Here's to new adventures! 🥂."
While Bush Hager is happy about Kotb's next chapter in life, she recently compared the news to feeling like a breakup on the Thursday, December 5, episode of her "Open Book with Jenna" podcast. "When everybody's like, 'Oh, my God! Congratulations,' it's like, 'I feel like I've been dumped,'" she admitted. "Not really, you know, 'cause she's choosing herself. I get that. But my heart is broken a little."
