It is nothing but love and light between Hoda Kotb and Kelly Rowland; at least, that is what the host is saying.
Just days after Rowland, who was set to co-host “TODAY with Hoda & Jenna” alongside Kotb while Jenner Bush Hager was away, abruptly left the studio, Kotb has reacted.
In her response during the latest airing of the show, the broadcast journalist clarified that she has nothing but “great love and admiration” for Rowland.
Hoda Kotb Emphasized Her Love For Kelly Rowland Amid Green Room Drama
On February 15, Rowland became front page news when she left the “TODAY” studio ahead of her presentation with Kotb.
Besides resulting in singer Rita Ora having to step in for her at the last minute, it also sparked controversial reports that her departure was linked to a dressing room issue.
The speculations have occurred long enough that Kotb felt the need to address the matter during Tuesday’s episode of the fourth hour with her and Hager.
Being her first day back, Hager asked her co-host, “Did I miss anything?” The 59-year-old responded:
“I just want to say this. I have great love and admiration for Kelly Rowland. I adore her, and I want her to come back on our show, and I want her to host again.”
“She’s welcome anytime,” Hager stressed before Kotb seemingly alluded to the green room reports, saying, “She can share my dressing room! We’ll be in it together! I just want to say that we love her. We’ve loved her on this show for many, many, many years.”
Hager then recalled, “Remember the first time she was a guest, and we both said, ‘Can she please host with us?’ We adore her.”
Regarding the drama surrounding Rowland’s studio walkout, after she saw the dressing room, one source claimed, “Kelly and her team were not happy. They did not like the dressing room, so they decided to pull her off the show, leaving [Kotb] without a guest host for the 10 a.m. hour.”
Similarly reacting to the issue, one insider in the “TODAY” crew expressed the team’s shock at how it unfolded. They stated, “She’s beloved at ‘Today.’ She was getting the full hour, and Hoda’s the biggest hype woman on the planet! It made no sense.”
Hoda Kotb’s Eye Emergency Made Her Temporarily Blind On Set
Unfortunately for Kotb, the Rowland walkout is not the only dramatic event to occur in her life this month.
As reported by The Blast, the NBC News star suffered a medical emergency while on an episode of the “TODAY” show at the start of February.
At the time, she told Hager, “I think I have a contact stuck in my eye way up here. I don’t think I took it out last night, and I can’t find it.”
The revelation prompted Hager to inquire, “Is this a medical emergency?” To which the Oklahoma native explained, “It feels like it’s in there,” before affirming that she was “not kidding” about the situation. Elaborating to Hager and the audience, Kotb said:
“I was going to go to the eye doctor, but I didn’t have time. Maybe people have tricks to [sic] how to get it out! I’m sure people have had contacts that have rolled up. If you guys know, can you post on X?”
The situation escalated further when the duo went on a commercial break. Upon returning to the air, Hager announced, “We have breaking news. Hoda’s now lost all eyesight because her other contact fell out.”
“It looks like a bunch of mushed-up colors. This is really weird. I’m totally dependent on you 100 percent. Not reading is not easy. I can’t read anything!” Kotb remarked about her eyesight.
Her distress caused Hager to confess her dislike of “this feeling” because she liked being partners with her co-host. The author added, “Let’s hope that a doctor arrives in the next couple of minutes and Hoda is able to see!”
Hager then said, “I’m going to go ahead and read, and hopefully when the health person comes, we can resolve this issue.” The issue was eventually resolved when Kotb pulled her lid and looked down with the help of a mirror, later on in the show.
