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Hoda Kotb knows who she wants to replace her on the “Today” show.
The morning show host, 60, spoke about her successor in a new interview with E! News.
“The person who I want is someone who has beautiful chemistry with Jenna [Bush Hager],” Kotb told the outlet on Oct. 25, referring to her co-anchor on the fourth hour of “Today.”
“That’s all I want. Because it’s never about either anchor, it’s about what’s between. So bring the chemistry.”
She continued, “I don’t care if it’s [Jenna’s] best friend, I don’t care if it’s someone she’s worked with, if it’s some celeb, when she gets in sync, that’s it. If she has chemistry, it will be beautiful.”
Kotb said that while she doesn’t have an official vote in who NBC chooses to replace her on “Today,” she has encouraged Bush Hager, 42, to be outspoken during the casting process.
“I said Jenna, ‘Feel who you want. Feel what feels right for you,’” the mother of two recounted. “She’ll know, because the only way it’s going to work is if they got a vibe or not. Just the fun party vibe. It can’t be forced.”
The “Making Space” podcaster also shared what advice she would give to her successor. “Look, you get to sit next to Savannah Guthrie, here’s what you’re going to do: You’re going to ride sidecar and say ‘thank you very much,’ OK?” Kotb told E!
The morning show host, who surprised “Today” fans in September when she announced her exit after 26 years with the network, described the experience of continuing to work on the show as a “slow goodbye.”
“It can almost be really grueling,” she explained. “It’s sort of like a strange process, which I wasn’t quite prepared for.”
Nonetheless, the anchor is looking forward to the next chapter in her life — which won’t involve waking up at 3 a.m. every weekday.
“I’ve found out, in my town, there’s a 5:30 Soul Cycle class which, I’m going to start,” she shared. “I’m going to spend it with humans, then I’m going to go back and feed my kids breakfast and I am going to make a coffee to go in my Yeti. I’m going to walk my kids down the beautiful streets to their school and I’m going to kiss them goodbye.”
Kotb shares two daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 4, with her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman.
Her entire interview airs tonight, Oct. 29, at 11 p.m. on “E! News.”