Hoda Kotb is the new Kelly Clarkson? Nope, but she spills other secrets in 'Today' return

Will Hoda Kotb regenerate Kelly Clarkson arsenic a talk-show host, giving emergence to “Hoda successful the Afternoon”? The retired morning-show anchor rapidly unopen down that rumor Wednesday erstwhile she popped backmost up connected “Today” for the archetypal clip since her January departure from the show.

“Do y’all deliberation — I privation to inquire y’all a existent question — bash you think, if I ever came backmost to TV, bash you cognize wherever the lone spot I would ever travel backmost to is?” Kotb asked her erstwhile colleagues aft replacement co-host Craig Melvin inquired astir that rumor. “Right here. This is the spot.”

“Delete, not true,” she said of the Clarkson rumor.

Something that is true? Kotb revealed that she near “Today” successful portion to instrumentality attraction of 6-year-old girl Hope, who was diagnosed astir 2 years agone with Type 1 diabetes. Previously known arsenic juvenile diabetes due to the fact that it’s astir often diagnosed successful childhood, the autoimmune upset tin hap successful adults arsenic well.

Hope’s wellness issues arose much than 2 years ago, she said. Now the kid has to usage synthetic insulin regularly to enactment well, since her information prevents insulin accumulation by her pancreas.

“As anyone with a kid who has Type 1 [knows], particularly a small kid, you’re perpetually watching, you’re perpetually monitoring, you’re perpetually checking, which is what I did each the clip erstwhile I was [at ‘Today’],” she told Melvin and Savannah Guthrie. “You’re distracted.”

Hope, however, is conscionable similar “every different kid” but for astir 5 infinitesimal astatine breakfast, lunch, meal and sometimes overnight, Kotb said.

But being determination for her girl had go nonnegotiable, she told People successful a communicative published Wednesday, truthful “Today” had to go portion of yesterday. No much alarms going disconnected astatine 3:15 a.m. each morning.

Now she sleeps successful until 4:30 a.m. She besides conscionable launched a caller wellness venture, Joy 101. But her children stay her focus.

“I truly wanted to and needed to beryllium present to ticker implicit [Hope]. So, whenever she needs anything, and it tin hap astatine night, aggregate times, I’m up — I’m up up up,” she said.

“But I would never, ever privation Hope to 1 time turn up and say, ‘Oh, my ma near her occupation due to the fact that [of me].’ It wasn’t that alone. But if you look astatine it cumulatively, it was a portion of that decision.”

Kotb, 60, and ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman adopted Hope successful 2019 and sister Haley successful 2017. The mates divided up successful 2022 but stay friends and co-parents.

Hope, Kotb told People, “is a happy, healthy, rambunctious, astonishing kid, and we person to ticker her. Diabetes is simply a portion of her, but not each of her. I anticipation it shapes her but ne'er defines her.”