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Hoda Kotb Looking for Mr. Right After ‘Today’ Exit and Would ‘Love the Idea of a Country Guy’
Hoda Kotb is focusing on finding Mr. Right now that she’ll have more time on her hands, and she’s on the hunt for someone who is simple and down to earth.
“She’s done with these city types,” a source exclusively tells Closer of the 60-year-old television personality, who was previously in a relationship with New York financier Joel Schiffman from 2013 until they ended their engagement in 2022. “Hoda’s had some rotten luck with men in the big city.”
The insider reveals that Hoda would “love the idea of a country guy,” adding that she’s become inspired by the likes of her friend Kathie Lee Gifford, who moved to Nashville, and Lana Del Rey, who recently wed a boat captain from Louisiana.
“She’d date a farmer at this point if he has a good heart, good values and treats her right,” the source reveals. “She’s looking for someone old-fashioned who opens doors for her and says, ‘Yes, ma’am.’ Of course, it helps if he’s good with money and saves more than he spends.”
Weeks before Hoda shocked the world by revealing on the September 26 episode of Today that she would be leaving the popular morning program, she moved out of her longtime New York City apartment.
She and her two daughters, Haley and Hope — whom she coparents with Joel — recently moved into a new home in the suburbs of New York, and it may be the perfect spot to find the perfect match.
“One of the reasons why she chose to live in Bronxville is people are nice and friendly, and it’s quiet and country-like,” the source says.
However, the insider points out that Hoda is “not drawing any boundaries” when it comes to love, adding, “She’d date someone from Tennessee if he checked all the boxes.”
Now that the journalist will officially sit down for her final broadcast as a Today cohost in early 2025, she seems open to new beginnings.
In fact, a separate source recently told Closer the TV personality finally “moved on” from her 2022 split from Joel.
Still, the insider revealed, “Hoda regrets the Joel breakup, but it was more complicated than her having a busy career.”
The two, who met in 2013 but didn’t go public with their relationship until two years later, were “growing at different paces,” Hoda previously admitted.
According to the Closer source, “Raising young children wasn’t his priority, and she understood that. She doesn’t fault him for his decision. It was sad at first. She still misses him, but she’s moved on from that.”
In August, Hoda got candid about why she and Joel parted ways after building a life together, explaining that it became hard for them to “be in sync.” She said, “I think a lot of people are probably in these situations. One person’s growing … or one person wants it this way, and one person wants it that way.”
She added, “He really is a great human being. And I feel like I’m a pretty great human being, but sometimes two great human beings together isn’t quite enough to make it work.”
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