Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford Are ‘On the Same Page’ About Collaborating on Projects Again

Hoda Kotb has an exciting future ahead of her as she maps out her entrepreneurial plans after Today – and a source says working with former cohost and dear friend Kathie Lee Gifford is very much on the agenda!

“Hoda is in the planning stages of re-establishing her media footprint, and Kathie Lee is part of those discussions and that planning,” an insider exclusively tells Closer. “Hoda has only one shot at this, and it’s great to see Kathie Lee on the same page as far as getting into new media, podcasts and redefining the relationship they have with their fans.”

“But the fans are also the key to everything here because people want to see — or just hear — these two ladies together again, and the timing is kind of perfect with the massive podcast boom that is going on right now,” the insider adds.

Hoda, 60, will be marking her final episode on Today on January 10 after 17 years on the talk show. She broke the news to the world during a September 26 broadcast, pledging to spend more time with her daughters, Haley and Hope, once she takes her final bow on Today.

Although she is leaving the show, Hoda is not planning on leaving the workforce entirely. She will still remain a member of the NBC family and already revealed she has a few ideas in mind for what she wants to do next.

“The clock is ticking because Hoda knows that she only has a limited time to lock in her plans, and Kathie Lee is primed to return to daily media,” the source adds. “But right now, Hoda has to drive the process, come up with the format, and figure out how to recreate that chemistry with Kathie Lee that was such a hit for so many years.”

Kathie Lee, 71, left Today in 2019, and NBC brought in Jenna Bush Hager to replace her in the show’s fourth hour alongside Hoda. But now, Hoda’s got her sights set on establishing a career in the wellness space.

“I’m going to be in this space, and it hasn’t been fully formed,” she told Women’s Health in October. “There’s no meat on the bones, but we are working towards some things that I think are going to be really exciting and fun. It’s about making wellness accessible to someone who’s never tried it.”

And the source says Hoda is looking to Today alum Katie Couric for inspiration while gearing up to start her next chapter in her career.

“Katie Couric has set the bar in the podcast space for former morning show hosts, and it’s up to Hoda to show that she can build the same kind of success,” the source says. “Her chances for that massively improve if she can bring Kathie Lee into the tent.”

Hoda and Kathie Lee have maintained a strong friendship since Kathie Lee left Today. On Sunday, December 8, the former cohosts reunited to attend a New York Giants game at MetLife Stadium with their families. Hoda shared photos from the game on her Instagram page, calling it a “great day.”