Hoda Kotb

Hoda Kotb
Hoda Kotb at Virginia Tech, 2016
Native name هدى قطب (Hudā Quṭb)
Born (1964-08-09) August 9, 1964
Norman, Oklahoma, United States
Nationality American
Alma mater Virginia Tech
Occupation Journalist
Author
Years active 1986–present
Employer NBC News
Known for Today show co-anchor (2018–present)
Today show 4th hour co-anchor (2008–present)
Dateline NBC correspondent (1998–present)
Spouse(s)
Burzis Kanga
(m. 2005; div. 2008)
Partner(s) Joel Schiffman (2013-present)
Children 1

Hoda Kotb (/ˈhoʊdə ˈkɒtbiː/ HOH-də KOT-bee;[1] Arabic: هدى قطب‎ Hudā Quṭb Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [ˈhodæ ˈʔotˤb], born August 9, 1964)[2] is an American broadcast journalist, television personality, and author. She is of Egyptian descent and is a main co-anchor of the NBC News morning show Today, and co-host of its entertainment-focused fourth hour. Kotb formerly served as a correspondent for the television news magazine program Dateline NBC.

Early life

Kotb was born in Norman, Oklahoma[2] and grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia[3] and Alexandria, Virginia. She lived in New Orleans, Louisiana throughout the 1990s.[4] Kotb's parents are from Egypt. Kotb and her family lived in Egypt for a year, as well as in Nigeria. She has a brother, Adel, and a sister, Hala. Her mother, Sameha ("Sami"), works at the Library of Congress.[5] Her father Abdel Kader Kotb was a fossil energy specialist and was listed in the Who's Who of Technology.[6][7] He died at the age of 51 in 1986.[8]

During a 92nd Street Y interview, Kotb hinted at her religious roots when she recounted her memories of annual summer vacations in Egypt:

We met our cousins who looked just like us. Some of them had the head cover on. I still remember going, 'Oh, my God. Like that could have been me.' You don't realise the gift your parents give you when you leave.[9]

Kotb similarly indirectly spoke about her family's Muslim background in her autobiography when she described attempts at match-making by her relatives in Egypt:

During my visit, I'd be sitting on the couch and there'd come a knock-knock at the door. 'Hoda, someone's at the door for yooooouuuu...' Oh, Lord. 'This is Mohammed. He's from Cairo. He's studying engineering... and he has a Mercedes.' Really? He also has on a long white man dress. Okay, call it a dishdash.[10]

Kotb makes no mention of any Coptic ancestry in her autobiography as some online articles have incorrectly claimed.[11][12]

She graduated from Fort Hunt High School in 1982. She was elected homecoming queen[13] and selected to speak at her graduating class's baccalaureate service.[14] In her college years at Virginia Tech, Kotb was a member of Delta Delta Delta women's sorority, Beta Nu Chapter.[15] In 1986 Kotb graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism.[3] Kotb was the keynote speaker at her alma mater for the 2008 Virginia Tech graduation,[16] and in her speech, played Metallica's "Enter Sandman" over her iPod.[17] In 2010 Kotb was elected to a three-year term to the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors.[18]

Career

Hoda Kotb, Monica Groves and Shayla Harris accepting the award for "Dateline NBC: The Education of Ms. Groves" at the 66th Annual Peabody Awards Luncheon

Kotb's first on-air job after college was at WXVT in Greenville, Mississippi.[19] She was an anchor and reporter for WWL-TV in New Orleans, Louisiana, from 1992 to 1998.

Kotb was co-host on the fourth hour of the Today Show alongside Kathie Lee Gifford since 2008. She has also been a correspondent for Dateline NBC since 1998. Kotb occasionally filled in as the co-anchor of Today for Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer. Beginning in March 2017, Kotb was added as a third co-anchor of Today (although she wasn't present for the first half-hour.)

After Lauer was dismissed following accusations of sexual misconduct, Kotb joined Guthrie as interim co-host for the first two hours of the show, and on January 2, 2018, she was named the official co-host, creating the first female duo for the show, departing from the long-time pattern of a mixed gender pair.

Kotb wrote a New York Times Bestselling autobiography, Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee,[20] which was released in hardcover in October 2010.

In 2010, Hoda Kotb won Daytime Emmy Award as part of the Today Show.

On January 15, 2013, she released her second book, Ten Years Later: Six People Who Faced Adversity and Transformed Their Lives, in which she chronicles six stories by identifying a life-changing event in each subject's life and then revisiting each of those six people a decade later.

She has also appeared in Martina McBride's music video for "I'm Gonna Love You Through It."

In 2016, Kotb released her third book, Where They Belong: The Best Decisions People Almost Never Made, which features a selection of various stories of inspiring people who "found themselves" in completely unexpected moments or unforeseen circumstances. Kotb released her fourth book, I've Loved You Since Forever, in 2018, which was adapted into a song by Kelly Clarkson.[21]

Personal life

In 2005, Kotb married former University of New Orleans tennis coach Burzis Kanga.[22] The marriage ended in divorce in 2008.[23]

In March 2007, Kotb underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery for breast cancer and has since become an advocate for breast cancer awareness.[24] Kotb allowed Today Show cameras to follow her throughout her cancer battle. After she was declared cancer-free, her story was documented on the show.

In January 2015, Kotb said she has been in a relationship with New York financier Joel Schiffman for two years.[25]

On February 21, 2017, Kotb announced on the Today Show that she had adopted a baby girl named Haley Joy Kotb.[26]

Career timeline

Other appearances

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hoda Kotb tried 'Kotbe' … to get ahead?". Today.com. February 20, 2012. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Hoda Kotb". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "'Today' show anchor to inspire young journalists at WVU May Commencement" (Press release). West Virginia University. May 1, 2009. Archived from the original on September 6, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2009.
  4. ↑ Diane Clehane (2009). "Hoda Kotb interview". Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Hoda Kotb on her mom hero". April 25, 2012.
  6. ↑ Who's Who in Technology, Volume 2. 1982. NJ: Technology Recognition Corporation. 1982.
  7. ↑ Who's Who in Technology, Volume 4. 1986. NJ: Research Publications. 1986. ISBN 0892351101.
  8. ↑ Kotb, Hoda (October 2010). Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee. Simon & Schuster. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-4391-8948-1.
  9. ↑ "Hoda Kotb on Ten Years Later". March 17, 2014.
  10. ↑ Kotb, Hoda (October 2010). Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee. Simon & Schuster. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4391-8948-1.
  11. ↑ "Arab American Hoda Kotb to Replace Matt Lauer as 'Today' Co-Anchor". Arab America. 2018-01-02. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
  12. ↑ "Hoda Kotb: 7 Things to Know About Matt Lauer's Replacement". Retrieved 2018-05-25.
  13. ↑ "Hoda Kotb Biography – Starpulse.com". starpulse.com. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Image: 1982baccprogram.jpg, (1471 × 1600 px)". 2.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Tri Delta – Mythbusters". Tri Delta. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Virginia Tech 2008 Commencement Address by Hoda Kotb". Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  17. ↑ Greg Esposito (2008). "At Tech graduation, laughs to leave by". The Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2009.
  18. ↑ "Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011.
  19. ↑ Brown, Adam (2014-09-16). "Hoda Kotb Says Only Takes One Person to Change Your Life — Stan Sandroni - HottyToddy.com". HottyToddy.com. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
  20. ↑ "How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee". Simon and Schuster.
  21. ↑ Braca, Nina (March 8, 2018). "Kelly Clarkson Turns Children's Book 'I've Loved You Since Forever' Into a Heartwarming Lullaby Watch Kelly Clarkson Turn a Children's Book Into a Heartwarming Lullaby". Billboard. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Hope From Hoda". Livingneworleans.com. June 2, 2006. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  23. ↑ Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee
  24. ↑ Hoda Kotb (2008). "Your life after cancer is better than the one before". MSNBC. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
  25. ↑ Webber, Stephanie. "Hoda Kotb Finally Reveals Boyfriend's Name". US Weekly. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  26. ↑ Melas, Chloe. "'Today' anchor Hoda Kotb adopts baby girl". CNN. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
Media offices
Preceded by
Matt Lauer		 Today Co-Anchor
2017–present
Served alongside: Savannah Guthrie		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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