By Kayla DeKraker
Hoda Kotb returned to the TODAY show for a special appearance to discuss some big life updates.
“For one day only, Hoda Kotb is back! [She is] announcing her new project,” Kotb’s former cohost Jenna Bush Hager celebrated.
She added, “We feel so excited. I was texting her at 5:30 this morning, as one does. I can’t wait.”
During her time on the show on May 28, Kotb said she felt right at home and praised her replacement, Craig Melvin, for how he’s filled her shoes.
“I have to just tell you guys, first of all sitting here with you, feels like yesterday. It feels like not a minute’s passed,” Kotb said.
“When you walked in, I was like ‘Oh hey Hoda,’” Savannah Gurthrie said.
Kotb joked, “And then I’m like ‘wait, who’s this guy sitting in my seat.’”
“To be fair, you gave it to me,” Melvin laughed.
Kotb added, “But I have to tell you, you guys together are totally crushing it, and it is beautiful to see.”
Fans in the video’s comment section agreed.
“Yes 🙌 totally agree!! They are crushing it!! It’s so awesome to see,” one person said. Another person added, “[I] miss Hoda but know she’s giving us reminders that there is so much more about life ☀️.”
Related: Is Hoda Kotb Returning to the TODAY Show? Co-Host Says…
Kotb exited the TODAY show in January after many years of hosting. The reason for her departure? Her kids.
She said, “I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of the time pie that I have…I feel like we only have a finite amount of time.”
At the reunion, Kotb revealed that her daughter Hope was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and explained that her career change was important so that she could have more time to care for her daughter.
“I think you just get a priority check in your life,” Kotb said. “You know, I can be here and sweating, ‘What’s happening to Hope, you know, in the morning and in the night?’ Or I can be there and feel relief that I can see.”
She also announced a new project called Joy 101, which The Hollywood Reporter describes as “a wellness platform and community designed to help people live more joyful, grounded, purposeful lives.”
“You know when you find something so special, so life-changing that you just have to share it? That’s me, and that’s Joy 101,” Kotb said in a statement. “It’s a place to pass on the light, the lessons and the healing I’ve been lucky enough to receive from the very best in wellness. Think of it as an introduction into a more joyful, balanced, beautiful life. Let’s goooooo!”
Kotb’s life change is an empowering reminder that careers and success come and go, but prioritizing family is what really matters.
Read Next: Pray: Hoda Kotb Takes a Break from TODAY Show Due to a ‘Family Health Matter’
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