Why Hoda Kotb Is Ready to Find New Love After ‘Today’ Exit & Split
What To Know
- Hoda Kotb revealed why she feels ready to welcome new love into her life.
- Kotb shared the top qualities she’s looking for in a potential romantic partner.
- The former Today host opened up about how her life has slowed down since leaving the NBC morning show.
Savannah Guthrie kicked off Hoda Kotb‘s new YouTube series, Joy Rides, by asking hard-hitting questions about her former Today coanchor’s love life.
“Who are you dating?” Guthrie asked Kotb on the show’s debut episode, released on Wednesday, January 21. Kotb was previously married to Burzis Kanga from 2005 to 2008 and began dating her ex, Joel Schiffman, in 2013. The couple got engaged in 2019 and adopted two children together — daughters Haley, 9, and Hope, 6. In early 2022, Kotb announced the pair’s breakup live on Today.
Kotb laughed at Guthrie’s question before joking that she is dating her kids. “So sad. What a sad thing,” she quipped. “No, but you know what? I actually think, like this is how life is, as we’re forming this rhythm, which I never had before … as things are settling, I actually see room for that, too. Although I always wanted it, I never really had any space for it. So, I do see some space.”
Kotb has been enjoying a slower-paced lifestyle since leaving her longtime hosting role on Today. She stepped away from the NBC morning show in January 2025 to spend more time with her children and explore new career paths. Since her Today exit, she has released her latest book, Jump and Find Joy, and launched her wellness brand, Joy 101.
“Who is your dream guy?” Guthrie went on to ask. First and foremost, Kotb said she wants to find someone who loves her kids. She also would love to date “someone who is creative and spiritual and wants to try new things, and [will be] a place where my heart can rest and feel safe.”
Guthrie chimed in to Kotb’s list of ideal qualities, stating that her future boyfriend should be “hot.” Kotb chuckled, adding, “Hot. [You’re] so bad!”
Earlier in the episode, Guthrie asked Kotb whether she had any interest in returning to TV after her departure from Today. Kotb has continued to make occasional appearances on Today and has also hosted events such as the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 2026 Rose Parade. She will be heading to Italy next month to help cover the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics for NBC.
“In some capacity, I think. Something that’s fun and light, I think I would do again,” Kotb said of a potential TV return. “I wouldn’t ever say never because I love the fun of it, but probably not to TV news, but to something else. That would be fun, I think.”
Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman (Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
At the moment, Kotb is enjoying getting to deepen her connections with her kids. “I’m actually having real conversations about things, and I didn’t use to have that, and I wasn’t sure if it’s because I have the time and I’m slower now and I sit with them,” she shared. “You know, Hayley will cuddle up with me at night and whisper things about her day, and I don’t think I ever paused long enough to get whispered to.”
She continued, “I think I was too busy ordering everyone around and I was missing all that. So, it’s like, the conversations we have are funny and interesting and insightful, and it’s not like — usually, I’m just barking orders and go to bed. And I think everything just slowed down.”
New episodes of Joy Rides drop Wednesdays on Joy 101’s YouTube channel.
