The fourth hour of Today is just not the same when Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager have to go without their other half, but Kotb will be absent from the broadcast for the foreseeable future for a rather exciting reason: She’s covering the 2024 Olympics live from Paris!
Bush Hager was instead joined by their on-air contributor Donna Farizan. During the broadcast, they decided to prank call Kotb and convince her she had to guest host the show via FaceTime because Farizan never showed up.
After a couple of tries, Kotb finally picked up the phone and asked Bush Hager, “What the hell are you doing?” But she seemed ready to call in and help Bush Hager keep the show going from her hotel room in Paris.
“The fact that you were gonna fill in on your own show, [you’re] the best! Love you!” Bush Hager said.
NBC and Peacock will be broadcasting the 2024 Olympic games live as they take place from this Friday (July 26) through Aug. 11. The network has a slate of coverage planned for the international event, complete with regular coverage on Today, as well as live streams on Peacock and additional social media content.
Here’s what we know so far about Kotb’s plans for the Olympics and when she should be expected back on Today With Hoda & Jenna.
Though Kotb may not be able to host the fourth hour of Today with Bush Hager, she can still be seen during the first few hours of Today beginning at 7 a.m. ET when she and Savannah Guthrie will be highlighting some major moments from the games the day before. She and Guthrie will also appear during NBC’s live coverage of the opening ceremony when it airs July 26 at 2 p.m. ET.
And that’s not all. The Today host has become such a passionate fan of Team USA she will also be getting her own “Hoda-Cam” during the games. NBC will reportedly feature a live stream of her reactions as the athletes compete, likely starting with gymnastics when the event begins on July 27.
It remains to be seen when Kotb will be back in New York to join Bush Hager on Today With Hoda & Jenna. While Guthrie and Al Roker will reportedly be heading back early to New York to welcome the American athletes home for a special reunion at NBC’s Today studios, Kotb may hang back in Paris to provide on-the-ground coverage of the games and interview key athletes, as she did in the recent NBC special Inspiring America: Team USA.
However, it appears that Kotb will certainly be back in New York in time to attend her 60th birthday bash on Aug. 12 at the TODAY Plaza in New York City.
Decider has reached out to NBC for additional information.
Today with Hoda & Jenna airs on weekdays at 10/9c on NBC.