Hoda Kotb Responds to Kelly Rowland’s Walkout on Today Show
In a surprising turn of events, Kelly Rowland, the renowned singer and former member of Destiny’s Child, reportedly walked out of the Today show on February 16, 2023. The reason behind her departure was said to be dissatisfaction with the dressing room arrangements at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. However, Hoda Kotb, one of the hosts of the show, recently responded to Rowland’s walkout with nothing but open arms and admiration.
During an episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna on February 20, 2024, Kotb expressed her feelings towards Rowland’s departure. “I just wanna 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,” Kotb stated. Jenna Bush Hager, Kotb’s co-host, chimed in, emphasizing Rowland’s welcome return. “She is welcome any time,” Hager added.
Kotb further extended her invitation to Rowland by offering to share her own dressing room. “Of course she is! She can share my dressing room! We’ll be in it together! Anyway, I just wanted to say that we love her. We’ve loved her on this show for many, many, many years,” Kotb exclaimed. Hager also reminisced about the first time Rowland appeared as a guest on the show and how both hosts immediately wanted her to become a regular host. “We adore her,” Hager concluded.
According to Page Six, a source revealed that Rowland’s dissatisfaction stemmed from the dressing room situation at Today. “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,” the source claimed. It was reported that Rowland played a game of “musical dressing rooms” at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, with Jennifer Lopez occupying one of the larger dressing rooms.
In Rowland’s absence, Rita Ora stepped in to cover for her, receiving only a two-minute notice before going on air. Ora shared her experience on Instagram, captioning a photo with the words, “Well, this happened. We had two minutes to prepare ahhh, thank you @hodaandjenna for asking me to co-host the show.” She expressed her gratitude towards the show’s team and hinted at the possibility of more collaborations in the future. “Everyone was so lovely and kind, I had SO much fun doing it,” Ora added. “Love to everyone that tuned in, maybe we should do more.”
Kotb also took the opportunity to acknowledge Ora’s contribution and praised her for stepping in at the last moment. “On another note, too, we just want to give a shoutout to Rita Ora, who kind of came in at the last second and really did a phenomenal job,” Kotb expressed. “So we have great women on this show. Two great women right there.”
Interestingly, on the same day that Kotb made her statement, Rowland appeared on The Sherri Shepherd Show and expressed her gratitude towards Shepherd for being a positive presence in her life. “We needed you. And I thank you so much for your light,” Rowland said.
Despite the unexpected turn of events, it is evident that the Today show holds no ill feelings towards Kelly Rowland. Hoda Kotb’s response showcases the show’s open-mindedness and willingness to welcome her back with open arms. With Rita Ora’s successful impromptu co-hosting stint, it seems that the show has found a way to adapt and continue providing quality content to its viewers.