Hoda Kotb

Hoda Kotb

Kotb in 2010
Native name هدى قطب Hudā Quṭb
Born (1964-08-09) August 9, 1964
Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma mater Virginia Tech
Occupation Television journalist
Years active 1986–present
Employer NBC News
Known for Today Show 4th hour co-anchor (2008–present)
Today Show Entertainment correspondent (2008–present)
Dateline NBC correspondent (1998–present)
Spouse(s) Burzis Kanga (m. 2005; div. 2007)
Partner(s) Joel Schiffman
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 television news anchor and TV host known as the co-host of NBC's Today Show's fourth hour with Kathie Lee Gifford. An Egyptian American, she won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2010 as part of the Today Show team. Kotb is also a correspondent for 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 1990's.[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]

She graduated from Fort Hunt High School in 1982. She was elected homecoming queen[6] and selected to speak at her graduating class' Baccalaureate service.[7] In her college years at Virginia Tech, Kotb was a member of Delta Delta Delta Women's Sorority, Beta Nu Chapter.[8] 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,[9] and in her speech, played Metallica's "Enter Sandman" over her iPod.[10] In 2010 Kotb was elected to a three-year term to the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors.[11]

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 was an anchor and reporter for WWL-TV in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1992 to 1998. WWL-TV has been one of Louisiana's top news stations for decades.

Kotb appears on the fourth hour of the Today Show, co-hosting with Kathie Lee Gifford. She has also been a correspondent for Dateline NBC since 1998. Kotb occasionally fills 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 isn't present for the first half-hour.)

Kotb wrote a New York Times Bestselling book, Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee,[12] 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 she 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.

Personal life

In 2005 Kotb married former University of New Orleans tennis coach Burzis Kanga.[13] The marriage ended in divorce two years later.

In March 2007 Kotb underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery for breast cancer, and has since become an advocate for breast cancer awareness.[14] Kotb allowed Today Show cameras to follow her throughout her cancer battle. After she was announced 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.[15]

On February 21, 2017, Kotb announced on the Today Show that she had adopted a baby girl named Haley Joy Kotb.[16]

Appearances

References

  1. ↑ "Hoda Kotb tried 'Kotbe' … to get ahead?". Today.com. February 20, 2012. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Hoda Kotb". TVGuide.com. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Kimberly Brown (2008). "'Today' show anchor to inspire young journalists at WVU May Commencement". West Virginia University. Retrieved May 1, 2009.
  4. ↑ Diane Clehane (2009). "Hoda Kotb interview". Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Hoda Kotb on her mom hero". April 25, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Hoda Kotb Biography – Starpulse.com". starpulse.com. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Image: 1982baccprogram.jpg, (1471 × 1600 px)". 2.bp.blogspot.com. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Tri Delta – Mythbusters". Tri Delta. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Virginia Tech 2008 Commencement Address by Hoda Kotb". Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  10. ↑ Greg Esposito (2008). "At Tech graduation, laughs to leave by". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved May 1, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011.
  12. ↑ "How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee". Simon and Schuster.
  13. ↑ "Hope From Hoda". Livingneworleans.com. June 2, 2006. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  14. ↑ Hoda Kotb (2008). "Your life after cancer is better than the one before". MSNBC. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
  15. ↑ Webber, Stephanie. "Hoda Kotb Finally Reveals Boyfriend's Name". US Weekly. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  16. ↑ Melas, Chloe. "'Today' anchor Hoda Kotb adopts baby girl". CNN. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
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