NEWSHoda Kotb Reveals If She's Taking Over Kelly Clarkson's Talk Show as Rumors Swirl
Hoda Kotb cleared the air about whether or not she's taking over Kelly Clarkson's talk show.
May 28 2025, Published 8:59 a.m. ET
Is Hoda Kotb taking over for Kelly Clarkson?
On the Wednesday, May 28, episode of the Today show — which aired four months after she exited the program — she denied rumors she's taking over the singer's eponymous talk show.
Hoda Kotb Sets the Record Straight
Hoda Kotb is not coming back to TV.
Kotb's pals and former co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin asked about the gossip, to which she replied, “Delete. Delete. That’s not true.”
She added, “I want to ask you all a real question. … Do you know the only place I would ever come back [to TV] is? Right here, this is the spot. There’s no place like home.”
Hoda Kotb Will Chat With Kelly Clarkson
Hoda Kotb will appear on Kelly Clarkson's show in late May.
She noted she will be appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show just "for fun."
Kotb, 60, stepped away from the Today show earlier this year to focus on her family, and now, she will be working on her eponymous wellness brand, Joy 101, which helps people manage their mental health.
- Hoda Kotb's Replacement Revealed: Who Is Taking Over Her 'Today' Show Duties When She Retires From Gig in January?
- Savannah Guthrie Admits How 'Sad' She Is About Hoda Kotb's Exit From 'Today': 'If I Had My Way, We'd Be Together Forever'
- Hoda Kotb Gets Emotional During 'Today' Return As She Reveals Her Daughter Was In The ICU: 'I Am Just So Happy'
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Kelly Clarkson is apparently unhappy doing her talk show, a source said.
On May 27, Jenna Bush Hager gushed over having her pal back with her.
“For one day only, Hoda Kotb is back!” Bush Hager exclaimed.
“We feel so excited,” Bush Hager added. “I was texting her at 5:30 this morning, as one does. I can’t wait!”
Is Kelly Clarkson 'Unhappy'?
Kelly Clarkson staffers are not 'feeling too stable' amid rumors the songstress wants to leave.
According to a report, staffers at the Kelly Clarkson Show have been uneasy about what the future might look like.
“Not feeling too stable,” the staffer alleged to the news outlet. “She could bolt at any time. Where does that leave me?”
The producer said everyone "loves Kelly," but they would "understand" if she wanted to leave because she’s “unhappy.”
“She should move on,” the source urged.
Before Kotb shut down the hearsay, the source said: “Maybe Hoda would be a better boss. I know she’s universally beloved and respected by her former coworkers. Maybe she would be good. She sure would be a lot more stable than what we’ve been going through. If Hoda wants to do it, it could be win-win for everyone.”
In a new interview, Kotb gave more insight into why she really left the show.
“From the minute I walked into 30 Rock that day to the minute I walked out, it’s like this beautiful parade of people were there. Maria Shriver came out, Simone Biles came out, Andy Cohen, Kathie Lee Gifford, Jimmy Fallon. And you know what I remember about it all? I remember my heart breaking,” she said in a new interview. “When you say goodbye to something you love, even though it’s right, it’s like your heart’s broken and on display.”
“It’s really cool to just realize that there’s so much more to life,” she added. “I wasn’t able to bear witness to my kids’ daily lives because of what I was doing. I got to see Haley sing ‘What a Wonderful World’ at 9:15 a.m. — I would have missed that. I used to think life was the big things, but it really is all the stuff that happens in between.”
