Hoda Kotb is clearing the air about the reported Kelly Rowland drama on Today, making it clear the Destiny’s Child alum is welcome to return to the morning show anytime.
“I have great love and admiration for Kelly Rowland,” Kotb said on Today. “I adore her, and I want her to come back on our show and I want her to host again.”
“She’s welcome any time. She’s the best,” added Bush Hager, as Kotb replied, “Of course she is! She can share my dressing room. We’ll be in it together! But anyway, I just want to say that we love her. We’ve loved her on this show for many, many, many years.”
Rowland appeared as a guest on Today‘s earlier hour on Friday, February 16, and was originally meant to stay on as Kotb’s guest host for the Today With Hoda & Jenna hour. However, the singer left early, leaving the show to scramble to find a replacement host (Rita Ora stepped in last minute for usual co-host Jenna Bush Hager). The Grammy winner reportedly left due to the state of her dressing room, according to Page Six.
The Today dressing rooms are notoriously small (a source told Page Six that they’re “glorified closets”), and guest Jennifer Lopez was reportedly occupying the larger, more accommodating room at the time. The multihyphenates were both there to promote their projects (the Netflix film Mea Culpa for Rowland and the musical film/album This Is Me… Now for Lopez). But the show’s accommodations were allegedly subpar for intended guest host Rowland.
Rowland’s exit prompted judgment from some, including Real Housewives alum Bethenny Frankel who said she was acting like a “diva.” During the Tuesday, February 20 show, Kotb cleared the air and seemed to confirm the dressing room issue.
Hoda says she has ‘great love’ for Kelly Rowland: ‘She can share my dressing room!’ pic.twitter.com/ax5ZEtv8aP
— TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) February 20, 2024
Bush Hager said they’ve been itching for Rowland to co-host for years. “Remember the first time that she was a guest and we both said, ‘Can she please host with us?’ We adore her,” she said, as Kotb replied, “Please!”