Hoda Kotb Shares Stunning Confession About Her Life-Changing Diagnosis
Hoda Kotb was no stranger to bad news. For decades, she worked for CBS and NBC delivering hard-hitting stories to people across the United States. But when she received life-changing news about her own personal health, she wasn't about to sit in front of cameras and share it with the world — not at first, anyway. It wasn't until she heard a harmless comment on an airplane that she finally decided to do what she does best.
Stunning career
Hoda Kotb has covered everything from international conflicts to informal conversations and has earned her place as an American TV icon. But there's one story the Today host hadn't talked about for some time: her own personal struggles.
Open talks
Kotb's career started as a CBS News news assistant in 1986. Then, after anchoring some local news stations, she hit the big time, joining NBC News in 1998. She was warm, welcoming, and engaging — but silent on some of the biggest struggles in her life.
Landing today
In 2007, though, Kotb landed a more cheerful gig on Today. She was joined by Kathie Lee Gifford a year later, and the pair soon built up one of the most natural on-screen partnerships in morning TV. Kotb would occasionally stand in for the show’s main anchors Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie, too.
Breaking records
And Kotb would eventually have the chance to work alongside Guthrie on a permanent basis. Following Lauer’s controversial departure from Today during the winter of 2017, the Egyptian-American was announced as his official replacement. This was a history-maker, as it marked the first time that two women had taken both of the NBC show’s main anchor positions.
