The Hoda Kotb’s By showcasing the wonderful influence the anchor has had on people’s lives; the cohosts today honored the anchor’s 60th birthday.
Today’s Monday, August 12 show featured a surprise video greeting from NFL alum Devon Still and his daughter Leah, as well as a video message from Craig Melvin and Savannah Guthrie. Kotb was not expecting these kinds of introductions.
In 2014, Kotb assisted Leah, now fourteen, and other children battling cancer in creating a music video for the songs “Brave” by Sara Bareilles and “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper. Leah was diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma. Over the years, the father and daughter team appeared on the NBC morning show to provide updates on Leah’s cancer journey.
Leah was in the hospital, and I would tell her that Hoda Kotb was on the phone if she was not feeling well.
In the video package, Devon, 35, said, “She would just have this big smile on her face.” “People who truly stood up for our family included Hoda.”
Kotb also featured Bart Conley and his late wife Jill Conley on Today. Bart Conley passed away from breast cancer in 2016 at the age of 38. Because they had both had breast cancer, Kotb and Jill grew close.
“After one of the shoots for the Today show, we went down and had lunch with [Hoda], and those two, it was like they were [longtime] best friends,” Bart stated. “Hoda had sent a video message to Jill when she was having a real hard time. It just lit up Jill’s day and it just meant so much to her.”
During a December 2018 episode of Today, Kotb surprised couple Frank and Stacey Parrado with news that they had been matched with their now 6-year-old daughter, Addison, for adoption. “We had the privilege and the blessing that Hoda got to deliver that message for us and record it for Addison to see for the rest of her life,” Frank said in the clip.
When the families appeared to surprise Kotb with flowers in the Today studio, she cried again even though she had already wiped multiple tears from her eyes during the video montage. She gave embraces to every previous visitor.
The thing I adore most about Hoda is that her birthday isn’t a look back at her life. Guthrie, 52, stated, “It’s about the people she cares about.” You all know that when she cares, it’s not just when the cameras stop rolling.
The visitors kept praising Kotb; Devon mentioned that he once went to Philadelphia to operate a lemonade stand, and Leah and Bart said that Kotb always felt like a “true friend” and “not like a celebrity on TV.”
Kotb continued by stating that Addison, the daughter of Frank and Stacey, is in the age range of her own girls. In 2017 and 2019, Kotb and her former partner Joel Schiffman adopted their daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, respectively.
She told Addison, “I bet you guys would be friends, too,” and then she proclaimed, “I love you guys,” to the assembled visitors.
On Monday’s broadcast of Today, Kotb was joined by Haley and Hope. In celebration of Kotb’s landmark birthday, a painting featuring their hands and her signature phrase, “Right on Time,” was displayed at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
On Monday, Kotb’s birthday celebrations continued with appearances by two of her favorite bands, Sugarland and Little Big Town.