Hoda Kotb Says She Has Worn Makeup ‘Probably 3 Times’ Since LeavingToday: ‘I Don’t Look at Myself Anymore’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty

Hoda Kotbis embracing retirement with open arms — and a lot less makeup.

“I have worn makeup probably three times since I’veleft theTodayshowand I’ve been gone for almost two months,” the former co-anchor tells PEOPLE at the inauguralRunway for Recoveryfashion show in NYC on Feb. 27, which raised over $456K to support families who have lost a parent to metastatic breast cancer.

Mornings now look drastically different from when Kotb, 60, was on air. Instead of preparing for an early morning glam session, the mother of two is walking her daughters —Haley Joy, 9, andHope Catherine, 5 — to school in a laid-back outfit, with no cameras or millions of viewers watching.

Runway for Recovery

She adds, “I’m with 10 kids walking to school together and a couple of moms. I go, ‘This is awesome. Look at me with my sweats on and my coffee. I’m into it.’”

This shift in pace has not only altered her morning look but has also given her a new perspective. “You know what I realized? I don’t look at myself anymore,” she says. “You look at yourself at work because there’s a big mirror and camera and you’re like, ‘Oh, my hair’s a mess, so you’re constantly fussing.”

Kotb continues, “But I don’t notice anymore. My kids are like, ‘Mom, you look crazy right now.’ But you know what? I’m happy.”

Even though her daily routine has changed, Kotb has kept a piece ofTodaywith her: a stack of friendship bracelets she wears on her arm. “They’re from my last day,” Kotb shares.

Hoda Kotb with Daughters Haley and Hope.Hoda Kotb/Instagram

Hoda Kotb/Instagram

Pointing to some of the bracelets, she adds, “All these bracelets that I got are from people who gave me them on the last day. This lady gave me one that says ‘January 10, 2025’ — she gave me the date. This one says ‘Todayshow’. This one says, ‘Hoda. Be kind.’ Anyone who gave me one on the last day I’ve been wearing it. I can’t take them off yet.”

Amid the collection of bracelets, one gold linked chain stands out. “Savannah [Guthrie]gave this to me, it says ‘With you’,” Kotb says, referring to her longtime co-anchor.

source: people.com