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Hoda Kotb upgraded her ride to a minivan and she's finding more than just extra cup holders and storage space — it's her new hideout from her daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5.
On the Wednesday, November 20 episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna, the 60-year-old veteran journalist couldn't stop gushing about her new set of wheels.
"Have I told you I love my minivan? I love it so much," she exclaimed to co-host Jenna Bush Hager. It wasn't long before Hager, 42, got to the real question: "Have you gotten in there just to hide from your children yet?"
Kotb, who adopted Haley in 2017 and Hope in 2019, nodded her head and revealed that the day before, "I cased out my own house. I sat outside and I didn't go in... But I was in the car. So I was casing and waiting." She explained that sometimes she needs a moment before walking inside because "the minute I go in, I can't do anything."
Hager, who has three kids of her own — she shares daughters Mila, 11, and Poppy, 9, as well as son Hal, 5, with husband Henry Hager — could relate. "You'll find yourself sitting in cars, listening to music, having just some alone time," she said. "And wait, you're like, 'OK, maybe just one more song. One more song and I'll go.'"
Laughing, Kotb agreed. "Sometimes you need that time," she said, adding, "You reset. And then you're ready."
The Today host's love for her car is no secret. She announced the purchase last week on the Thursday, November 14 episode and couldn't hide her excitement. "Guys, I'm getting a minivan! A Toyota Sienna!" she exclaimed. "I'm so excited. I have wanted a Toyota Sienna for a long time."
The move fits perfectly into Kotb's new suburban lifestyle after her move from New York City to the suburbs earlier this year. "It's all new — new kids, new school, new things, new everything," Kotb said about the milestone move on Today in August. "All I could think of was I want my house for the kids to feel warm and cozy and a place where they want to hang."
Kotb's new minivan purchase comes just weeks after she announced her plans to leave Today after more than 16 years with the hit morning show. In an emotional moment on Thursday, September 26, the longtime anchor explained her decision to "turn the page" as she approaches her next chapter.
"I started thinking about that decade. Like, what does that decade mean, what does it hold and what's it going to have for me?" she shared, adding that her departure will allow her to spend more time with her family.
Kotb's final show is set for January 10, 2025 — she will be replaced by Craig Melvin.
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