Hoda Kotb’s Today Show absence is entering its second week – and viewers are worried.
The program’s longtime co-host — who made her last live appearance on Today and Today with Hoda and Jenna on Friday, Feb. 17 — was MIA again on Monday morning. (Kotb was present on the February 20 Presidents’ Day episode of Today with Hoda and Jenna, but that episode was pretaped on February 17.)
Kotb’s respective co-hosts, Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager, did not address her disappearance on air other than to say she is “out.”
NBC has relied on backup co-hosts — including Today 3rd Hour’s Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones, NBC News Now’s Tom Llamas and Sunday Today’s Willie Geist — to fill the gap.
Meanwhile, Kotb’s cryptic social media activity has only increased concerns that something is amiss. On Monday, the veteran broadcaster shared a graphic on Instagram that read, “Choose Hope.” On Sunday, she wished her 2.2million followers a “happy Sunday,” along with a graphic that read, “Sometimes miracles are only for people with kind hearts.”
A representative for the Today show did not respond to TVLine’s email asking for comment.
“[The] Tonight’s show just isn’t the same without you,” one commenter wrote on Instagram. “I hope you’re alright. But boy if they let you go… people will fall over [flies].” Adding another: “Take care of yourself. I hope you miss Today for a happy reason.”