“Today” show co-anchor Hoda Kotb returned to the show after taking time away to deal with a personal matter.
On March 6, Kotb revealed the reason behind her absence at the start of the show.
“My youngest, Hope, was in the ICU for a few days and in the hospital for a little more than a week,” Kotb explained.
She added she is “so grateful” that her daughter is back home.
“I was waiting for that day to come. And we are watching her closely. I’m just so happy,” she shared.
Kotb refrained from going into further detail into what caused her 3-year-old daughter’s health to decline.
However, she did express her gratitude to those who supported her while her little girl was ill, including the doctors and nurses who took care of her.
“I’m grateful for the doctors at Weill Cornell who were amazing and the nurses. And I’m grateful to my family, and I’m grateful to friends like you who were there every single day,” she told co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. “So, I want to say thank you for that.”
Kotb added, “I love you.”
“I love you, too, and you have a lot of friends out there who are right here with you, lifting you up, and Hope, too,” Guthrie replied.
On March 1, “Today” show co-anchor Craig Melvin acknowledged Kotb’s absence and also the viewers’ concern for her.
“As for Hoda, we know some of you are wondering how she’s doing. We can tell you, Hoda’s OK. She’s got a family health matter she’s been dealing with,” he said.
Kotb had been gone since Feb. 17, according to People.