Hoda Kotb taped an interview with Kelly Clarkson last week amid rumors that the former “Today” host is being considered as a potential candidate to replace Clarkson on her NBC show, Page Six has learned.
The episode has yet to hit the air, and it remains to be seen if the rumors will be addressed at all.
But multiple sources told us that Kotb is not taking over “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” and that she was a guest because she was discussing her newly launched, self-titled wellness brand.
We hear that Kotb is having a splashy launch party for the new venture in NYC on May 28.
There’s been chatter that Clarkson is angling to exit her show, and leave NYC.
However, last week, a source told Page Six that there was buzz in Clarkson’s camp that she’d agree to return to the show for two more years, and that NBC execs were “very pleased” with the move and they’re “very fond” of the singer and the show.
Yet an NBC insider told Page Six that the return was not imminent, and on Monday, the Daily Mail reported that staffers are now fearful they’ll lose their jobs if she doesn’t return.
“Not feeling too stable,” an anonymous staffer reportedly said. “She could bolt at any time. Where does that leave me?”
The same producer clarified, according to the report, that while “everyone loves Kelly,” and that she’s “a wonderful person,” they’d “understand” if she wanted to leave because she’s “unhappy.”
The report also quoted the unnamed producer as saying that, “Maybe Hoda would be a better boss. I know she’s universally beloved and respected by her former co-workers. Maybe she would be good. She sure would be a lot more stable than what we’ve been going through.”
“If Hoda wants to do it, it could be win-win for everyone,” the insider told the outlet.
Reps for the show and Clarkson did not immediately comment.
Back in March, Clarkson worried fans when she was absent from the show for over two weeks without any explanation.
However, a source told TMZ at the time that the “Since U Been Gone” singer, 43, was “completely fine,” but had been “dealing with a personal matter that does not directly involve her.”
The undisclosed matter wasn’t “a cause for alarm.”
In April, Page Six exclusively revealed she wanted to leave the show once her contract expires in 2026 to spend more time with daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remy, 8.
As far as Kotb, who stepped down from “Today,” a source previously told Page Six, “There’s a long list of names and Hoda is part of that list… NBC never wanted Hoda to leave. The question is, would Hoda want to do it?”
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